Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Body
by Alex of Light
Summary: Traveling with the Prince and his friends can sometimes lead to odd situations. Like being pressed between a naked Gladio and a boulder, knee deep in water, and the rest of the group looking for the both of you close by. Best to roll with it and see where the path leads from there. Final Fantasy XV/15. Gladiolus Amicitia x OMC. Yaoi warning.
1. Chapter 1

**Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Body**

 **A/N: Hey guys, just letting you know if you like this I would be more than happy to write a series once the game comes out. Though I understand why it was delayed, I still harbor some resentmet towards Square. I think they just love baiting their fans with content. For further evidence, ask the nearest Kingdom Hearts fan on how they feel about KH III. But enough of that, hears something that took up seventeen pages in my composition book. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XV is owned by Square Enix and Sony studios. I do not own any other mentioned properties.**

Aquas Nigrum joined the Prince's group soon after they left the beseiged Insomnia. Well..., joined and getting run over are basically the same thing. Last time Ignis lets Noct drive the Regalia.

Having been informed that he had mistook the clutch for the brake, they pulled over and quickly got to see if he was okay. Gladiolus got to him first, thanks to his longer legs, and began looking him over. "You okay," he asked, helping the man sit up with the support of his arm.

"Just peachy," he groaned grouchily. "Wasn't enough to fight off those metal monsters after stealing some crystals from the Royal Armory with weapons I barely know how to use. No, I had to get ploughed over by the very person I was trying to find."

"Sorry," Noctis apologized quietly.

Blowing his brown hair out his eyes with a huff, he said tiredly, "Its fine, at least I was able to find ya." Had a bit of twang to his voice, subtle enough that they hadn't noticed until now. "Here," reaching into his pocket, "these are the whole reason I'm here," holding an array of crystals in his outstreched palm. "Didn't understand why they were in the armory instead of the vault until I pick one up."

Everyone looked on stunned, taking the gems into hand to find that he had brought them some of the best weapons they could ask for. "If we're done, I think I'll have a bit of a lie down," he said before passing out, his body growing heavier againt Gladio's supporting arm in deadweight.

"What should we do Noct," asked Prompto insistantly.

"If I my your highness," input Ignis, "Its getting dark and we should break camp soon."

Noctis looked to the man's face for a moment before answering, "Might as well bring him along, I did run him over. The least we could do is get him out of the rain and dress his wounds." though he said it carelessly, the rest of the group grinned knowingly as they loaded him into the back seat of the car.

Gladio drove as Ignis looked him over in the back, trying to estimate the damage their new ally had taken.

"Best I can tell, most of his injuries happened during his escape due to the amount of debris in the wounds. They need to be cleaned quickly and thuroughly before they can fester," he announced after a few minutes.

"Better find a place to camp soon then," commented Gladio.

"Your highness?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm proud of you," Ignis lamented, " with what's happened, I'm glad to see you doing what your father would have."

"What's that?"

"Helping those in need," answered Gladio, pulling into a disused path, "even in the shitty situation we're in."

"He helped us, so I'll help him. Simple as that," Noct said, acting cool. But in truth, he would have helped regardless and was worried about the trial that have yet to come.

~At camp, inside the tent~

"So, any ideas as to who our mystery helper is," questioned Gladio, followed by the others.

"His name is Aquas Nigrum, penitent thief and store owner," said Ignis from his place next to the unconscious man.

"I've heard that name before," piped up Prompto, "Wasn't he arrested?"

"Yes, he was. When brought before the King, he repented his crimes and swore that he'd live a better life, given the chance," recounted Ignis, "The King asked if he truely ment what he said. When he continued to comfirm it, he was given that chance as well as a store to make his livelyhood. He has since kept his word and rumor has it that his store has never been stolen from thanks to his own thieving knowledge."

"Hang on," said Noctis, "How do you know its him? Have you ever visited his shop, seen him before?"

"Good question, how do you know Iggy," asked Gladio, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

"His wallet fell out his pocket and his I.D. was inside," Ignis answered a bit reluctantly.

"Yeah, it 'fell out,'" said Prompto sarcastically, throwing up air quotes.

"Are you suggesting that I went through his pockets," accused Ignis.

"That's exactly what we're thinking," said Gladio in a low voice.

"Ignis," said Noctis testily, "tell the truth."

"Curiousity got the better of me and I went through his pockets, I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Could you keep it down and let a guy rest," said Aquas grumpily, startling everyone. He sat up, supporting himself with one arm as he rubbed the sleep from his violet eyes.

"How long have you been awake," Ignis asked incredulusly.

"Since he walked in," pointing to Gladio, "And for the record, I understand why he seached my pockets, I wouldn't trust me either. You know what they say, once a theif, always a thief."

"Its not that..." started Prompto.

"I wanted to know who would have the skills to break into the palace, out again, and escape the city under seige. But now that I know who you are," Ignis spoke quickly, "I'm really not all that surprised."

"You could've just asked, it's not like I wouldn't tell ya," sitting up fully, cross-legged, "There are things that you learn that stick with you, no matter how little you use it." Aquas was silent for a moment, as if for effect. He continued, "When you run with the crowd I did, you soon figure out that no place is impenentrable. Takes the right oppertunity and route to get you there." Taking notice of the collective intrigue, frowning he added, "In this case, it was a city wide siege and the sewers."

"That explains the smell," commented Gladio with slight disgust.

"You may think it horrible now, but the sewers will almost always get you out of a tight spot. Need I remind you," not even pretending to be polite anymore, "you wouldn't have those gems without me. Be thankful that I believed there might be a chance to pay back the King's kindness by helping his son out. Now," changing tone and subject, " you know who I am and I know his name," pointing to Noct, "but I don't know any of your's."

"Gladiolus Amicitia."

"Prompto Argentum."

"Ignis Stupeo Scientia."

"Now that we've gotten introductions out of the way," Noct began, "What are you going to do now?"

"Good question," Aquas said as though he just realized something, "Didn't really think this on through..."

Everyone, except Prompto, let out a groan of exasperation.

"Why don't you come with us," blurted Prompto, "What," when everyone except Aquas looked at him like he was an idiot. "He helped us once, maybe he'll help us again."

Noctis shrugged his shoulders and admited, "He's got a point."

"Thinking about it now," said Aquas, brow furrowed, "There's probably little chance of me sneaking back into Insomnia. Even if I did, I doubt my shop will still be there. So in other words..."

"We're stuck with ya," finished Gladio.

"Sorry," he apologized, probably the only time of his own intention.

At that moment, his stomach grumbled audibly. "Might as well make a dish for him as well," said Ignis, resigned to the fact that he'd be cooking for five now.

"Appreciate it," Aquas said gratefully. "So, a sword friend, some ready cash, a bit of amazed fire, a little black water, and a ray of night's light." Aquas smiled to himself, as if he remembered a joke, "A band of misfits if I've ever seen one."

Noct smiled too, perhaps for the first time since learning of the siege, "When you say it like that," he said with levity, "I guess you're right."

Prompto seemed to be the only one of the four in the tent who didn't get the joke, "What's so funny?"

"I would explain but," holding up a finger, "as someone once said, 'if you have to explain the joke, there is no joke,'" said Aquas knowingly.

Gladio, who slowly finguring out the what they were grining about, was happy with the fact that Noctis was smiling again. _This guy's not so bad,_ he thought to himself.

With a fifth member added to their party, they continued on their journey while taking turns sharing something about themselves while bringing Aquas up to speed with most of what was going on. For the most part, he'd chat idlely with everyone. But mostly it ended with him talking avidly with Gladio and Prompto since they weren't as serious or broody as the other two. In combat, he was a better asset than they had initially believed. Though he was once a theif, an occupation that relied heavily on stealth, he was no stranger to a fight. Aquas had choosen to wield a staff in battle, or more accurately, it had chose him. Much like himself, at first glance it looked nothing special. At least until one noticed it was constantly changing length accourding to his whims. And though staffs are technically non-leathal weapons, but the way he wielded it, there may as well have been blades attached to the ends.

Aquas had a very 'take each day as they come and let the cards fall where they may' attitude towards life. Though the others didn't always agree with it, every so often, the group would take a break and do it his way. It would usually lower their stress levels. When those times that would role around where they would take a break, something odd would happen. One time, they found Ignis drunkenly wondering the wilderness half-naked. Another, Noct and Prompto were almost caught skinny dipping in someone's pool in the middle of the night. Most recently, Aquas and Gladio were kicked out of a sex shop. To this day, no one knows the reason. All they know is that it was Aquas' idea and everytime someone asked them about it, they'd just grin and childishly say "We'll never tell," in unison. Laughing at their attempts to prise an answer out of them. And that was just to name a few.

Actually, Noct had been noticing them disappearing a lot here recently. Most of the time, they'd come back with food or firewood. But there were occasions where he'd be half-asleep and hear them sneaking back into the room, if they were in town, or tent, if they had to make camp. Well, they had take a break in a lake-side town and Aquas and Gladio had took of again and Noct wanted to get to bottom it. Plus, since they where having one of their holidays, who knows what trouble they could be getting themselves into. So, Noct, Ignis, and Prompto began searching for them. They check the usual places, stores, restuarants, even bars while the younger two waited out front. One of the few places they hadn't looked yet was the lake bed where they had seen swimmers before dusk. Maybe they went for a dip in the lake.

Like most lakes that attracted holiday makers, it had an artificial beach of sand. The only difference was the many boulders that spaced themselves randomly across both the beach and the lake. At this point, it was with half-hearted determination that they spread out and began combing the area for their friends while calling their names occasionally. Prompto went so far as to call out 'Marco' to bait a response. But all he got was a disinterested reply of 'Polo' from the other two.

Begining to think it wasn't worth the effort anymore, Noct heard movement and hushed cursing from behind a rock that jutted out a ways into the calm lake. "Gladio? Aquas?" No reply. Intrigued, Noctis was tempted to remove his shoes, role up his pants legs, and have a look behind the boulder. He had gotten as far as removing one boot before Prompto called out to him.

"Hey Noct! I think I saw one of those shops they got kicked out of on the other side of town. Maybe that's where they are."

Sighing defeatedly, Noctis emptyed the sand from his boot before replacing it and running over to catch up with them some ways up the road. A few seconds later, when they were out of sight, the lean form of Aquas appeared from behind the boulder wearing nothing but a shiteating grin. "Ho boy, those three are in for quite the surprise! What I wouldn't pay to see that show," he hooted with glee. "Maybe we should follow them."

"Or," proposed Gladio, also in the nude, "we could go back to the empty room for some fun. Should be a while before they're back," hugging him from behind, his soft cock pressing against the top of his ass.

"Careful, I may just steal that silver tongue of yours," Aquas smirked, pulling a chuckle from the larger man. Dressing, "How much you wanna bet that the clerk are gonna think that they're in there for themselves?"

"2000 gil," pulling his jacket over his shoulders, "4000 if the other customers hit on Prom and Noct."

"And if they hit on Iggy?"

"Doubt it. But hell, if that happens, you can top next time."

They walked as fast as they could without looking suspicious back to the hotel room they all shared. As soon as the lock fell into place, Gladio place a hand on the door beside Aquas' head, leaned forward and said, "So what now, huh cutie," knowing how much he loved being sweet talked.

Turning around with a lustful smile, "So many options," he husked, hands gently carressing those abs that Gladio always left on display.

Humming as though he were thinking, "Why don't I have some fun with that sweet ass of yer's on the bed." Grabbing a handful before giving it a pat as Aquas walked towards the bed, purposely swishing his hips.

"Well how can I refuse an offer like that," he asked playfully, sitting himself down on the coner of the bed and kicking of his shoes.

Gladio did the same and walked over to bed, only to stop in front of Aquas and remove his jacket so the other could satisfy his tattoo fetish. After planting a breif, but deep kiss on his lips, Gladio whispered into his ear, "Why don't you get me hard for ya?"

Aquas was way ahead of him, a hand already groping his large member. Standing, Gladio unzipped his pants and pulled them down slowly with his underware to reveal his semi-hard cock. Aquas took it in hand, pumped it a couple times before taking the juicy head into his mouth. Tongue playing with a vein along the shaft, Aquas cupped his heavy balls in his hand and kneaded thm lightly with the tips of his fingers. Gladio loved having his balls played with, nothing made him moan and rock hard faster.

Standing proud at eleven inchs and bigger around than a half-dollar, Aquas licked his lips as he admired his handywork. "I know the drill," he smirked as he stripped off the rest of his clothes, underware getting stuck on his leaking hard-on.

Laying on his back, Aquas brought his knees up to his chest to give Gladio a full view of his cock, balls, and hole. Without waiting or prep, Gladio lubbed his member with liquid from a bottle he always kept in his jacket for times like this and speared himself into Aquas' ass. Aquas was a bit of a masochist, so he felt more pleasure than pain as Gladio quickly assumed his usual pace. Since they never knew when they could have sex or how long, they only focused on helping each other reach their climax rather than enjoying the experiance.

At the pace they were going and Gladio constantly hitting his prostate, it didn't take long Aquas to start feeling the pressure growing just above his groin. By habit, he grabbed his dick, pumping it and silently telling Gladio to get on with it. Picking up the pace, both of them mouned louder than usual let themselves as they came at the same time. As they rode out their orgasms, Gladio continued to rock himself in and out of Aquas until he went soft before pulling out and grabbing a towel from the bathroom.

Now clean, they had just enough pressence of mind to put their pants back on but no more than that. As per an unspoken agreement, Gladio sat with one leg extended with the other bent inwards so Aquas could settle himself in the crook of it against his bare chest. It took a few attempts to figure out that this was the best position for them without limbs falling asleep. But this didn't hold true for them. More than once, they'd fall asleep like this with Gladio holding him like a stuffed animal.

With Aquas' head tucked under his chin, Gladio hummed contently and, without knowing he was speaking, said quietly, "Gods do I love you."

Aquas made a small noise of surprise, he hadn't said this before. Heat rising in his face and swallowing hard, he responded as confidently as he could, "Yeah, me too."

"Wha-," Gladio breathed slighty confused. It took a moment befor his face flushed pink, realizing that he had spoken his thoughts aloud. He brought a hand to his face to hide his embarassment.

It wasn't long before Aquas couldn't hold back any longer and the sound of his snickering filled the room.

"What's so funny," Gladio growled, failing to be threatening with the amount of pink in his cheeks.

Regaining control of himself, Aquas answered, "Just the thought of you getting so worked over a simple 'I love you,' you'd probably be a mess if someone asked you to marry them." He started to chuckle again, but not as loud as the first fit.

"What makes you think that won't be the one to ask them," ha said strangely, shifting slightly.

Aquas went oddly silent after that. Gladio could almost see the cogs working in the back of his head as he twidled his thumbs. After awhile, he said, "Don't you think its about time we told the others about others about us." Trying despertly to change the subject. Gladio raised a suspicious eyebrow, but let it go at the sound of a key being fit into the lock.

Prompto walked in first, freckles promenant against his white face. Noct followed, looking as though he had just been tramatized. Last to file in was Ignis and he looked the worst out of the three. Glasses askew and hair out of place, he was voicing refusals to intercourse in varying degrees of disconnect. None of them seemed to notice the couple cuddling on the bed. That is, until Aquas broke the silence.

Clapping his hands together loudly and shouting, "Oi," he startled them back into consciousness. Sniggering, he asked without a trace of innocence, "So, where have you guys neen?" Even though he and Gladio knew full well where they were.

"Looking for you two," said Noct quietly, "We even went to see if you were... in one of those shops again." All three still failing to notice that Aquas was in Gladio's lap for (to them) no reason.

"And what happened while you were there," chirped Gladio, trying to figure out who won the bet.

"What happened? What HAPPENED?!" spat Ignis, "I'll TELL you what happened. First, we had to convice the clerk that we were only looking for you two and not interested in anything from their establishment. Repeatedly! Then, customers were begining to make solicited comments towards Noct and Prompto. When they got it through their heads that they weren't intersted in men, they started harassing me!"

"Wait! You guys went into a _gay_ sex shop," he exclaimed. Eyes lighting up with mirth as he jumped to his feet.

"Apparently so," Ignis answered iratably, straighting his glasses.

The effect of those two words was astounding. The boom of of Gladio's guffaws filled the room while Aquas had to use the headboard to support himself from lauging so hard. They weren't expecting that at all. It seemed to go on forever before they finally started to sober up.

When his legs could support him again, Aquas pulled out two thousand gil and handed it to Gladio. "Hold on, I thought I said four," still wearing a goofy looking grin.

"You owed me two for the toy bit and," Aquas said matter-of-factly, "I'm topping next time."

"Dammit, I was hoping you'd forget."

"Wait," said Prompto, "Did you guys know where we were and make a bet?"

"Yes sir," Aquas answered shamelessly.

"'Next time,' have you two..." started Ignis, putting the pieces together.

"...been fucking each other? Yeah," Gladio finished bluntly.

"For months actually," added Aquas.

Noctis couldn't take any more after that. First the sex shop and now this?! Solving the mystery behind their disappearances was small comfort as his face turned green, forcing him to rush for the bathroom. As the door slammed shut, Aquas admitted as they put the rest of their clothes on, "Maybe we should've wait until tomorrow to tell them."

When Noct finally emerged from the room, he was wiping his mouth with a towel.

Whispering, "Gladio... isn't that...?"

"It is..." color draining from his face.

"Should we tell him?"

"I think he already knows," as Noct pulled it away from his face in horror.

"You know, there's an all-night dinner nearby," making his way to the door.

"Right behind ya," practically sprinting across the room.

No one saw them until the following morning, huddled close together on the terrace connected to the room, fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Body**

 **II**

 **A/N: With the game now in the hands of the public for some time now, it is time for me to make good on my promise and give a second chapter. Now that you know it's destination (sort of, hue hue), I shall show you the journey that both Aquas and Gladiolus underwent from being mere acquaintances to saying I love you. I hope you enjoy this project of mine.**

 **Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XV is owned by Square Enix and Sony studios. I do not own any other mentioned properties.**

They were on the road once more, Noct, Prom, and Ingis napping in the back with Gladio in the passenger seat and Aquas at the wheel. The two of them had apologized to the poor prince about the towel incident by promising to warn him next time he's about to pick up something that they used to clean themselves off. Plus, they had to buy him any sweets he wanted for the next two weeks. Fine by Aquas, as childish as he thought it was, he still had plenty of his own gil to spend in case the group's ran low. Not that anyone knew that, except maybe Gladio. Speaking of...

"Hey," laying his hand on the one resting on the console, giving it an affectionate squeeze, "don't ya think it's time to make a pit stop?"

Aquas took a look at the dash display, they were under a quarter tank. "Fine, there's a gas station up here anyways," he relented. Normally, he would of been a bit more stubborn and would've argued about how they could make it quite a few miles. But now that they didn't have to hide it any more, Gladio was using this new found freedom to make him more compliant. It pissed him off at first, seeing how easy a few affectionate gestures and sweet nothings could make him falter. But, when he began to think about it, he liked how Gladio could openly love on him like that and how it felt, unlike some. Aquas sure as hell didn't expect it after their first time telling each other 'I love you.' It made him smile, as they pulled into the station.

"Whatcha ya thinking about," Gladio asked, noticing the fond grin on his face as he shut the car off.

"Just how we got together," stepping out, "took me a few fucking tries."

"Really," said Gladio, somewhat surprised as he got out to stretch.

"Yeah," staring to refuel the car after selecting the fuel grade, "I was either thwarted, too late, or I couldn't get to ya."

"Well, no one wants to be caught with their pants down," smirked Gladio.

"You did, apparently," Aquas added, calling him out.

"Got me there," he admitted.

~~~A few months earlier, in Hammerhead~~~

"What are you doing here," demanded Cor incredulously, drawing his sword and rushing Aquas.

Rusty, he barely brought his staff to meet the blade in time, "Aww, and here I thought you'd forgotten about little ol' me," looking genuinally touched as he shoved him off.

"Shut up!"

They continued exchange blows before Noctis got involved. "Stop it Leonis, he's with us so lay off," he ordered the older Crownsguard.

"Better listen to him, wouldn't want to cause a scene here," Aquas said cautiously, but they swore they heard a hint of smugness. "And one more thing," he added, sweeping his staff and knocking the man off his feet, "now we're even." He offered a hand to help Cor stand, but it was ignored.

"Even? Did I miss something," asked Prompto, confused.

Readjusting his glasses, Ignis said intelligently, "Throughout their scuffle, I counted exactly thirteen blows that landed between them. Aquas just made it even with seven strikes a piece."

"Wow! Aquas is amazing to keep up with Cor the Immortal," exclaimed Prom, "They were going so fast, my eyes couldn't keep up!"

"I find it more amazing that he was able count them while fighting," added Gladio, sounding slightly impressed.

"You've lost your edge," whispered Cor his back to everyone.

Aquas, who heard him, smiled darkly and responded in equal silence, "Who's to blame for that, tricking me into that ambush."

"It was for your own good," hissed Cor.

"Can't argue there, I enjoyed the peace of Insomnia while it lasted." He sighed at the loss (the memory of the Fall still fresh) and stepped forward, "But I'll never miss it as much as I did you, four years can be a long time..."

"Enough, I have business to attend to," cutting Aquas short, he turned around and tossed a small cylinder to Noctis. "Meet me at those cordinates at sunrise," he explained curtly before walking off.

"Well," said Noct, after a moment to take everything in, "I guess we have some downtime tonight."

In the west, the Sun was just kissing the horizon with it's radiant edge. This left them a few hours of freedom. Prompto and Noctis headed straight for the diner for a bite to eat despite Ignis' protests as he followed, leaving Aquas and Gladio, who headed for the gas station. Aquas was looking for something to do tonight among the shelves, picking a couple snacks for later, when he noticed the other man shooting him quick glances before looking elsewhere. If Aquas hadn't been a thief before, he wouldn't be able to tell that this was a novice's way to make sure no one was watching him. But Aquas was watching him now, all be it much more subtle than his ally, using a magazine that had been left where it didn't belong to hide it. Pretending to be scaning over it's pages, he kept Gladio in the edge of his vision. Gladio, finally sure with himself that no one was watching him, grabbed something from the shelf in front of him and headed to the counter to pay for it with his share of the group's gil. Aquas saw him roll whatever it was up and stick it in a pocket inside his jacket before walking out. Purchasing his things, a deck of cards and some chips, he glanced over to the spot where the taller man had been standing. There were an array of erotic magazines pandering for straights, gays, and everything in between. Now he was curious as to what the big, burly hunk was into. _Time to indulge some old habits. But first,_ looking to the pack of cards in his hand with a devilish grin, _let's just see what I'm working with._

When night fell, the five of them took to a nearby caravan. Once settled in the small space, the former thief set his plan into motion.

"Anyone up for a game of strip poker," asked Aquas, shuffling the deck idly as he watched them with interest.

"What's that," questioned Prompto enthusiastically, naively thinking this to be an innocent, new game.

"Easy there Prom, if you knew what it was you wouldn't jump in so quickly," admonished Gladio.

"I'd like to know too," added Noctis. _No surprise there,_ thought Aquas.

"It's like regular poker, but instead of gambling gil you bet articles of clothing on each round," Ignis explained, giving Aquas pause to reconsider his initial impression of the man.

"That's right," continued Aquas, "I had a lot of fun playing with my friends back when I was still running around the with Filii Dea. The stories that I could tell if we had the time. So who's game," he asked once more, the cards flying from one hand to the other. _I wonder what else I'll learn tonight._

"I'm game," said Noct.

"Count me in," added Gladio.

"You'll understand if I pass on this excursion," input Ignis, "Though I may spectate."

"Fair enough," Aquas acknowledged, "So, what about you blondie? Ya in or out?"

Prompto seemed to debate the question for a few seconds as Aquas began dealing out the cards before jumping in to the small booth with them, "I guess it couldn't hurt to have a go."

"That's the spirit!"

"Any special rules you want to throw in," asked Gladio, confidently eyeing the hand he'd been delt. _He's a good bluff, I'll give him that, considering how I stacked the deck against him._

"Hmmm...," Aquas pondered, setting the remaining deck aside. "Though anything I learn about you three would be new, the last to lose has to answer questions about themselves that the rest of us don't know, we each get one. How's that grab ya?"

"Should make things interesting," commented Noctis, a mischievous glint flashed acrossed his eyes.

"Is it to late to back out," asked Prompto nervously.

"Quit yer bitchin', and let's decide what we're betting first," said Gladio.

"He's right, you and His Excellency here have the most to bet. If the cards go your way, you should be fine," laying his hand down for a moment, he stretched what aching sores he could. Picking them back up, "I'll start, I bet my shirt on this round."

"My sleeve," Gladio input. _That's disappointing._

"Same," said Noct.

"My gloves," finished Prompto.

The round went by quick, only a couple of card draws from Noct, who claimed victory with a cheer as everyone passed him his winnings. Chest lain bare, everyone could see the big, purple bruise in the shape of the Regalia's headlight on Aquas' left side. A rose shaped pendent hung from his neck but was ignored as something else caught their eye. Small scars that scattered themselves across his exsposed skin and a set of runes were tattooed along his collar bone to be precise. Flashing them a charming smile, he jested, "See something you like boys?" The following exchange will forever make Aquas smile after tonight.

Both Noctis and Prompto turned red and looked away only to lock eyes with each other for a split second before their sight snapped in the opposite direction out of further discomfort or embarrassment or both. Gladiolus, on the other hand, scratched his jaw and tried to look innocent while avoiding the thief's amused gaze. _Gotcha! Now the question still stands, is there a chance he's into guys like me and what's he packin'?_

With a light chuckle, "Come on guys, I just fuckin' with ya. Seriously, you'd be easy pickin's for a guy like me with how guliable y'all are. Just look, its written in the ceiling." He pointed up and Prompto was the only one dumb enough to fall for it, causing the rest of the booth to erupt in laughter at his expense.

The rest of the game continued in a similar manner and the three began to feel more comfortable around Aquas. It wasn't long before they were sharing all kinds of stories, Gladio did most of the talking. Aquas didn't mind, he was learning more about him and it turned out, he's quite the dork. Aquas had the impression that he'd be more like Ignis and reserved, maybe he couldn't read people as well as he used to.

After a couple hours, it came down to the thief and the shield. Noct and Prom having folded before they humiliated themselves further with Ignis cheekily grinning to himself as the two boys sat in only their pants. Speaking of which, Aquas had just lost his, leaving him in his dust blue boxers. Gladio was in the same boat, gray briefs, and Aquas had worked very hard to make it happen. It hadn't been easy to make it look like a fair game, almost slipping a few times when the big man lost a fair bit of his clothing. The worst was when Aquas got an eye-full of the guy's huge bulge, pretending to be fanning himself cockily with his new hand of cards to distract from the sudden tightening of his pants.

But now, it was all or nothing. With some sleight of hand, Aquas delt himself a Full House. Confident that he'd won and against what ever shitty hand Gladio had been delt, he laid down his cards with apparent smugness and leaned back to enjoy the effect. _Should've known better than to play cards with a former thief, stuff like this is my bread and butter._ But a meaningful cough brought his attention back to reality.

What ever victory Aquas had been feeling quickly flew out the nearest window as soon as he saw Gladio's shit eating grin. Color drained from his face a little at a time as the man torturously layed the cards down one by one, slowly revealing a Royal Flush. _How in Etro's name did he...?!_ He could only sit there, stunned at the fact that he'd lost the game he'd been controlling the entire night. Where did he slip up? Did Ignis notice the deliberate way he shuffled the cards and tell Gladio? Or did he just get over confident and not pay attention to the hand he delt to the man? It must've been the latter, he would've noticed a change in the man's behavior if he'd been tipped off. _But could I really? They've suprised me once already. Best to accept this with some dignity._

Aquas stood with a sigh and assumed a respectable posture, well as repectable as someone half naked could. Stepping out of the booth, he pulled off his last remaining article in one fluid motion and tossed it to Gladio. Now standing in his fully glory, Aquas had nothing left to hide. He may not be as big as his opponent, but wasn't a small fry either with a member swaying at a comfortable five inches. "Congrats," he said with a trace of discontent, "Lady Etro and her luck have graced you tonight. A loss is a loss, so who's up first?"

"Am I permitted a question," inquired Ignis.

"I don't see why not," said Aquas, arms crossed in attempt to feel less vulnerable.

"How were you able to stack the cards with every hand?"

"So that's how I lost, you tipped him off," said Aquas in realization, admiration could heard in his voice as well, "Either I'm rustier than I thought or ya got some sharp eyes."

"Wait?! You were cheating," exclaimed Prompto.

"Oh no! Ya caught me red handed," Aquas smirked, displaying his palms in mock surrender, "Honestly, playing poker with a thief and yer surprised he didn't play fair? To answer yer question, not easily. I had to balance makin' the game look fair with keepin' the rest of ya in the dark. I told ya, I used ta play with thieves, I had to learn card countin', sleight of hand, and a decent poker face if I didn't want to lose everything I owned. Alright, who's next?"

"What's with the tattoos," Noct questioned.

"Part of being in Filii Dea, when ya turn thirteen they put ya through test to make sure yer worth keepin'. If ya pass, yer branded with the runes of yer choosin', like 'I walk in chaos, as she intended,'" explained the thief.

"What happens when you don't pass," asked Gladio.

"Deemed worthless before," he drew line across his throat, imitating the sound of a knife cutting flesh, "No loose ends," he finished in almost sinister delight at their horrified reactions.

"That's horrible," cried Prompto.

"That's life, only the strongest survive," countered Aquas, "If ya can't make it on yer own, what use are ya to the guild that raised ya?"

"Crude, but fair," commented Ignis.

"Hmm," Aquas hummed in agreement, "Living in the city like you boys did, y'all had it pretty good. Hell, I didn't see the inside of the Wall till twelve years ago. Never thought too highly of the people who lived there, believed they had it real easy. Changed my tune a few years later...," trailing off into past memories.

"Wait, exactly how old are you," asked Prompto.

"Twenty-eight," he answered, adding, "That counts a yer question y'know."

"Dammit!"

"That just leaves our lucky winner here," his gaze meeting Gladio's, grinning, "Go on then, shoot."

"What happened at the treaty signing? What went wrong," he asked, serious.

Whatever lighthearted feelings that had been brought about by the card game had been crushed by the weight of eight, simple words. Aquas' face had darkened, feeling his throat constrict slightly as he silently reached out for his clothes. Believing it better to be dressed for the somber subject, the others seemed to be thinking the same thing. Clothed once again, the thief sat down in the booth, his fingers drumming on the table top as he pondered on what to say, or where he should even start. Two minutes of uncomfortable silence passed before he said anything. "You don't pull any punches do ya," Aquas jested darkly.

"Understand that some of this I learned second hand and it's not a lot. You have no idea the chaos that it left in its wake," he began, "I had just closed shop when an explosion sounded from the Citadel, some radical group attacked to give the Niffs the distraction they needed. A fight broke out in the signing room, all of the king's attendents died there when General Glauca entered the fray. At least, that's my guess when I saw the damage while looking for the armory. But his Majesty wasn't among the dead..."

"Then he's still..." cut in Noctis, looking hopeful, almost desperate.

"No," Aquas interupted before he got too far, "I'm sorry Prince, but he is gone. That I'm sure of, there were... a few... pieces on the floor. None of the corpses were missing any parts. So if he was able to get away, he didn't make it far. I couldn't tell you where he... where he passed on." Aquas sounded very grim, like it almost hurt to talk about it, but he continued, "Anyway, it wasn't long after that the Empire took down the Wall and stole the crystal." He clasped his hands together tightly, resting his forehead on them. "That was it for a while, MTs set loose in both the streets and the palace, Imperial Dreadnots flying overhead, and everyone running through the streets in panic." He hands began to shake as he lowered them into his lap, "It was madness, what they did next. They had gotten what they came for, they were just adding insult to injury." Pausing, he collected his thoughts, "Things started to calm down for a bit as we started to learn what went wrong, what our casualties were, when another bombshell was dropped on us. One of the Kingsglaive had betrayed Insomnia, giving those terrorists the info they needed for this whole mess to start. And then, night fell. We thought it was done, but there was more death to come." Slamming a fist into the table, he made the four of them jump as he shouted, "THOSE FUCKERS BROUGHT GODSDAMNED DEAMONS INTO THE CITY!"

"D-deamons," whimpered Prompto.

"Yeah, and not yer run-of-the-mill deamons either," Aquas said, anger still boiling beneath the surface, "These were huge, bigger than half of the buildings in Insomina. Not only that, they were able ta level several blocks before anyone could blink. Words can't describe the damage they did." They all sat in shock, unable to think of that kind of devastation. Noctis looked as though he was taking it the worst and Aquas didn't want to see him like that. "It's not all bad, there are a couple good things to come of this yet."

"Yeah?! Like what," Noct asked, voice racked with emotion, namely anger.

"Like that Lady Lunafreaya made it out alive," he answered, stone faced, "And that someone was able to activate the Old Wall to deal with the deamons before too many people got killed."

"What," asked Gladiolus.

"Who," questioned Ignis.

"How," exclaimed Noctis.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Aquas said gently, "Yer askin' things I can't tell ya."

"Why not," asked Noct incredulously.

"Because I just don't know," beat back Aquas, "I've done told you I don't know everything, this is just something that I heard from a very reliable source before I left. All I know first hand is that I saw those huge statues from around the city come to life and fight off the deamons. I only found out that it was the Old Wall yeterday morning 'cause I was busy trying to stay out of their way all night. That's when I heard that the Oracle was alive and it crossed my mind that you might still be too, even if it was only a slim chance. So I packed the esentials, broke into the Citadel, escaped the city, and found you four. Anything else that happened while I was gone is just as much as a mystery to me as it is to you." He looked to the clock on the wall and said, "We best get to bed, Cor gets real grumpy when people are late."

"How do you know that," said a curious Noctis.

"Sorry kiddo," he smirked as he grabbed his bag, "that's another, long story for another time." Walking past them, he ruffled Noct's hair as he threw his stuff into the bed above the caravan's hitch before following it himself with a slightly half hearted, "Night," and throwing himself under the covers, laying comfortably on his side. His back to the rest of the group.

"He's an odd fellow," said Ignis in a low voice as they all looked at him in bewilderment, unaware of the solumn expression that adorned the thief's features.

~~~The next morning~~~

Ignis was up long before everyone else (as always) to wake everyone and prepare breakfast. While everyone else went about their morning routines, Aquas attended to his healing wounds. Some had already started to disappear, while the rest had scabbed over and it didn't help that Cor had added more. He dressed and redressed them with practiced eased and Gladio had taken notice.

"You bandage a lot of injuries when you were a thief," he asked, watching him struggle with redressing a nasty gash on his upper arm.

"Had to," Aquas said matter-of-factly, strip of gauz clamped in his teeth, "No one was going to do it for me. Except maybe... Dammit," he cursed as the wrappings came loose as he went to tie it off.

"Here, let me take care of that for ya," Gladio said, reaching for the fallen bandages.

Aquas grunted in thanks as he watched him neatly dress the wound. "Y'know, you're probably the third person to say that to me," he said, surprising them both. _Why'd I say that?!_

"Really? And who would be the other two be," asked Gladio, curious as he peered into his violet eyes. It was a soft, almost tender gaze, one that made Aquas' heart skip a couple beats.

Ignis saved Aquas from having to answer by calling everyone outside to eat. "You go on, I still need to get dressed for the day," Aquas simpered, giving the large man slight pause. But he didn't question it and left to join the others, leaving the thief stunned that he had been unable to restrain his urge to try and charm him. "Aquas you idiot, you could've blown the whole thing _,_ " he berated himself under his breath as he pulled 'new' clothes, "This isn't some one-night stand you picked up at a bar and you ain't lookin' for one niether!" He pulled off his shirt to replace it with a faded long sleeve one, continueing to grumble all the while. "Play it slow, get to know him before ya make yer move. If you lay it on too thick now, you'll only make things awkward later." As he finshed with the last strap on his boots, he admitted, "But I can't help it can I, I've always had a soft spot for anyone who might look out for me, like she did."

Before he stepped outside, he caught a glimpse of himself in a full-length mirror and chuckled lightly to himself. By Bahamut's wings, he never did think he'd see himself wearing these old things again. Aquas had grabbed his guild armor from his days running with Filii Dea before leaving Insomnia. They used to be charcoal black, but that was before years of wear and tear that came with the job discription. The outfit consisted of dark pants and undershirt, a layered leather jerkin, pauldrons, bracers that covered the tops of his hands, and greaved boots that had all faded with time. There was a hood too (battered like everything else), but he choose not to don it. Not yet, at least.

The four of them had gathered in the lawn funiture, enjoying a rather delectable looking breakfast. It looked as though it had been prepared by a prefessional chef. Maybe Aquas was too out of it when Ignis made breakfast the other morning to notice the quality of the food. But by gods, he was going to enjoy it today.

"Well, whatta we have here," asked the thief, licking his lips.

"Lightly pouched salmon, mint salad, and sides of toast, scones, and _campagne_ ," Ignis said confidently as Aquas grabbed the last remaining plate that was obviously ment for him. While looking at what beverages there were, he noticed a kettle with vapors faintly streaming from the spout. Drawing closer he caught a whiff of a familiar aroama, something he thought he wouldn't have for some time.

"Is this Earl Gray," he asked, smiling at the sweet smell.

"Why, yes it is," pronounce Ignis, slightly stunned.

"Do you mind if I have some," looking to the man any objections. Ignis gestured for him to help himself. As he poured his cup, he added, "Thanks man," before taking a seat at the empty table a little ways from them.

"Never figured you a tea drinker," smirked Noct, taking in the strange sight of a thief sipping tea with his breakfast with an almost classy posture.

"Never thought ya'd be so down ta earth, but it seems were both surprised," countered Aquas, nonchalantly eating his food, savoring the tastes. "Damn this is good," he added offhandedly, "Hey Scientia, you'd make one hell of a chef if I say so myself." Taking a bite of a scone, he turned to Noctis, "But seriously, did ya think all thieves were barbarians? 'Cause we ain't, at least the people I knew. Take me for example, I've always had a likin' for tea that had ta be brewed and drank warm. We weren't always out shakin' folks down fer gil, everyone had their hobbies." He finished his food quicker than he'd like, but it gave him more time to just sip his tea contently, "But it's not my business to tell ya how you should think about people."

"He does have a point, you can't judge a book by it's cover," said Prompto, displaying a rare bit of wisdom.

"Well said," praised the thief, "But I'd hate ta spoil the moment, but we should hurry along if we don't wanna be late for Cor." With that, he drained the last dregs of his tea and set it with the other dishes.

"If you're that ready to go, why don't you have a crack at driving today," said Ignis, tossing him the keys to the Regalia as he stepped into the caravan to retrieve his things. He barely caught them and glanced at the car before looking back to the man in confusion, "Really," he asked eyebrow raised while the other furrowed.

"What? Can't drive a stick," teased Gladio, helping Ignis with the clean up.

"Oh I can, it's just been a stretch since the last time I did. Do you mind if I go for a quick spin while y'all finish up, just ta dust off the cobwebs," said Aquas, having tossed his things in the trunk. With comfirmation, he inserted the keys into the ignition and started the vehicle. Admiring the purr of the engine, "Man, it's so much easier with the keys," he marveled as the others looked at each other with concern, thinking the exact same thing. "Let's see, shift inta first and feel for the gear change," he muttered to himself, hand on the column-shifter while going over what he remembered and keeping in mind that he didn't have to hot rod it.

Pulling out of Hammerhead, he took the Regalia to the Longwythe rest stop and back. Getting a feel for it's transmission and where he needed to change gears. By the time he had returned, Aquas was driving the car like he'd owned it his entire life. Gliding up to the caravan, the thief parked in front of the rest of them with the Regalia's nose pointed towards the highway. As they piled their things and themselves into the car, Noct asked," So how was your drive?"

"She handles great," praised Aquas, "Steerin's tight, brakes stop on a dime, and she purrs like a kitten goin' down the road. But she's a bit sluggish on the acceleration and the gear shift is a bit rough. I'd look inta that if I were ta have say," he finished, "but there's no time for that now. So yer Highness, where's Cor at?" He glaced at Noct in the rearview mirror sitting in between Ignis and Prompto, having to force Gladio up front so everyone could fit comfortably.

"Wish I could tell you, but I can't read cordinates. Or at least tell you right off the bat," Noctis admitted.

"Well hand 'em over, I had to use 'em all the time," comforted Aquas, reaching back for the cylinder. "What are you up to Cor," he muttered after reading them and pocketing the tube, shifting from park to first gear.

"Do you know what's there or something," came Prompto's voice as they pulled out onto the open road.

"Yeah, a Royal Tomb," he said, there was an undertone of distaste that almost went unnoticed, "but I don't have the slightest clue what he's plannin'."

"Something wrong with that," Noct inquired.

"Let's just say that I'm not a big fan of tombs and Cor is fully aware of that," said Aquas, slightly bitter, "And before you ask, I ain't sayin' how he knows. If yer that curious, ask him." That torpedoed any questions about him and Cor for now, but Aquas was waiting for the right time for that particular story.

The drive to the Prairie Outpost was uneventful, minus the idle chatter that passed between them. "Hey Noct, any ideas what we'll find there," asked Prompto as the parked next to a nearby haven.

"Your guess is as good as mine," answered Noctis, "Any ideas Aquas?"

"Not many," said the thief, "any tombs we found none of use could get into, not even our best lockpicks. But I heard about one in the Nebulawoods that had its doors busted off their hinges by deamons and stole whatever was in there. Well, whatever was valuable anyways."

"Hmm, that's interesting...," pondered Ignis, "But before we go meet the Marshall," changing subjects, "I do believe that Mr. Nigrum could benefit from a secondary arm, like the rest of us."

"Whadda ya mean," summoning his staff, "I can clear a room with this thing."

"That's the issue, we may not have the luxury of space in a fight for you to wield it," Ignis pointed out.

Thinking of some of the tight spaces he's been in, he relented and said, "Fine. But what would you have me use?"

"Well, I don't think a greatsword or spear would do you any good," input Gladio, "You'd run into the same problem. From yer little scuffle with Cor, you like yer distance too much for daggers. So how 'bout a gun?"

"I've always believed the guns are for pussies who can't fight," said Aquas casually.

"Hey! I use a gun," exclaimed Prompto, offended.

"Aren't you proving his point," said Noctis snidely.

"Well, what else is there," pondered Gladiolus, ignoring Prompto exhasperated blathering as he chased after a smirking Noct.

"I'm a bit of a fair hand at swordplay, so how's 'bout yer run-of-the-mill sword," suggested Aquas.

"I don't know about common, but you did bring us a broadsword from the Citidel that you can use," said Ignis, pulling out a crystal from his bag in the trunk and tossing it to him.

Almost dropping it, "I did," he questioned. Activating it, a simple looking blade appeared in his grip, looking at Ignis with an odd expression, "What about this isn't common? It looks like the default weapon in a video game," Aquas observed.

"Hey, wasn't that the sword Noct used to learn how to warp with," asked Gladio, eyeing it from over the theif's shoulder.

"Indeed, it is," said Iggy confidently.

"Hang on, 'warp?'"

"Just throw the blade somewhere and think about following it and you will," explained Gladio.

Skeptical, he threw it as hard as he could into the air and follow their instructions. In a blink, he was holding the sword again with shock. Realizing where he was, he screamed, "WHAT THE HELL!?"

On the ground, by the repeated mantra of 'SHIT' that they could hear, Ignis and Gladio could tell he was panicing and not thinking straight ,like he ever did( **obvious gay joke is obvious** ).

"Gladio," said Ignis simply, concerned as he started to come back down to earth.

"I've got him," responded Gladio, equally as worried as he prepared to the catch the man. Noctis and Prompto, having forgotten what they were doing, watched Aquas fall like a cursing boulder. As the distance between him and the unforgiving ground closed, they could see that his sword had disappeared into the ether and his limbs were desperately searching for something solid in his descent. Gladio caught, thankfully, but it nearly knocked him flat on his ass. When he straightened up, he noticed that Aquas had wrapped his arms and legs tightly around him like a startled cat. His eyes were still wide with fear as his lip were drawn back to reveal clenched teeth, seemingly unaware that he was no longer falling to his death. Gladio, unsure on what he should do, held onto him out of reflex to keep him from actually hitting the ground. They may have been frozen like if Prompto hadn't opened his mouth.

"Aww," mocked Prompto, "They look like a couple going through a haunted house."

Finally coming to his senses, "Wha...," Aquas said as he took in what he was clinging to before making eye contact with Gladio. Faces thuroughly red, Gladio put him down and sheepishly tried to act like nothing happened while Aquas pulled his hood over his face to hide his embarrassment. Turning around, "Says the guy who'd probably piss himself from a jump scare," he snapped, "We better head for the tomb, I'd rather minimize Cor's bitching."

 **And that's chapter two everyone! I'm so sorry of the wait, I just wanted time to play the game and write down ideas as they came to me. I endeavor to cover as much as the game as possible and catch up to and build on the events of the first chapter. See you all next time! Until then, tell me what you think about this chapter in the meantime. Later!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Body**

 **III**

 **A/N: I apologize for the long wait, I've been trying to balance this with a full-time job, DLC packs, Square patching in new story content (incomprehensible sounds of an irritated writer), Persona 5 (which took me three months to get through), having to fight my laptop for results, finally caving and getting a new one, and other obligations (farting around on Youtube). Though I've been taking a notebook with me to work on this chapter in my down time, there are obviously certain 'events' that I can't risk someone reading over my shoulder. I hope that this explains what has been going on in the intervening months between chapters. I hope you enjoy this new installment!**

 **Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XV is owned by Square Enix and Sony studios. I do not own any other mentioned properties.**

"You're late," Cor almost growled, leaning against the Tomb's door. There were dark rings under his eyes, like he hadn't slept at all last night.

"Figured," sighed Aquas, "I'll take blame for that one, slowed us down some this mornin'." Walking around from the back of the group, hood still raised, but at this angle Cor could see an apologetic smile.

"Well isn't this a blast from the past," he scoffed.

"Never pegged you for the nostalgic-type," said the thief curiously, "As far as I know, you only saw me in this once." Crossing his arms, "So, what's yer game here," he asked, a slight sense of suspicion in his demeanor.

"It is the duty of his Majesty to collect the power of his predecessors," explained Cor, turning to unlock the Tomb's doors. There was a large, metallic clank followed by the sounds of hidden chains pulling the heavy, ornate metal plates into the stone walls of the structure. "This power," he continued, walking inside, "takes the form of a Royal Glaive belonging to a great king or queen of the past. Each waits in a Tomb, waiting to be claimed by the Chosen King of the Crystal. That much, we can assume from what the stories tell us. It is up to our prince to put those tales to the test."

They had all followed the Marshall inside, so struck with awe at the craftsmanship of the marble decor that they failed to notice that Aquas was still standing just outside the doorway with a look of unease. Everything from his posture to the way he kept opening and closing his hands told them that the thief was uncomfortable with the idea of entering the Tomb. When asked why, his reply came in a small, curt, "Bad luck." Cor scoffed while the other four looked concerned about his answer. Cor added, "You're not still stuck in your old habits are you," goading him.

"You watch yer mouth," anger overtaking logic, forcing him to step inside, "You of all people know full well how I was raised! After what ya did t' me, the least ya could do is quit the asshole act and give me some godsdamned slack! Or have you forgotten what happened almost four years ago?!" Aquas had gotten right in Cor's face, violet eyes alight with the fire of some burning, unidentified emotion. Whispering, eyes now dim with regret, "I've made my peace with it ya know, even forgiven you. The one thing I can't figure out is this grudge yer holdin' on to, what do I have t' do to convince you I never meant what I did." Turning on his heel so Cor had no chance to respond, the thief kept his head down as he left, saying dejectedly, "If y'all need me, I'll be waiting outside." Once clear of the door, Aquas' sharp ears caught Noctis asking," What was that all about?" There was a pregnant pause, as if everyone was looking from Aquas to Cor. He almost didn't hear the Marshall give the indefinite answer of, "Nothing that concerns us at the moment, this is much more important." Aquas' breath caught as he quickened his pace, pulling his hood further up to hide his face from the world.

Five minutes of angst later, they found him on top of the great pillars that marked the Tomb's location, sitting with one leg dangling over the edge. As they began to wonder how and why he was up there, he pushed off the ledge with staff in hand. About halfway down, it extended to bridge the gap and bring his descent to a brief halt as he swung around it once before letting go. Aquas landed with a grunt on one knee, as if bowing, in front of Noct, asking, "Where to now, your Highness," before rising to his feet.

"Keycatrich Trench, and call me Noctis," said the Prince.

Aquas faltered for a momement, reason unknown, "Of course, it's just a short walk from here if I'm not mistaken. But there'll be Empire troops waiting for us."

"He's right," said Cor, bitter that he agreed with the thief, "During the war, Niflehiem took many territories across Lucis. Now they practically go anywhere they please."

"Not like they didn't do that before," added the thief, not even attempting to hide his disdain for the Empire or perhaps something else.

Cor took point with Aquas a couple paces behind him, the tension between the two could be felt by the remainder of the party behind them. This sparked a quiet conversation between the four friends, carefully keeping it out of earshot of the subject matter.

"So do you guys have any ideas on how those two know each other so well," asked Prompto.

"Maybe, I heard a rumor that Cor used to go outside the Wall on secret missions for my dad. It could be that Aquas was one of his informants," said Noct, posing a very likely situation.

"Really," added Gladio, "I overheard from someone in the Crownsguard that he took some teenager in about ten years ago. Might've been our new friend here."

"The both of you might be on to something," input Ignis, "I accidently overheard a conversation between His Majesty and the Marshall about changing Mr. Nigrum's sentence whilst he was on trial."

"But that leaves one question...," started Prompto, looking at the backs of the two men several feet in front of them.

"What made Cor hate our resident thief so much," finished Gladio.

"Who knows," relented Noctis, "It doesn't look like they're telling us anytime soon."

"Are you sure," asked Prompto, "Maybe if we ask Aquas really nicely..."

"Ain't gonna happen Prom," cut in Gladio.

"Why not," whined the blonde.

"Cause there are just some things that people don't talk about," answered Gladio, "least not that easily. This is one of these things."

"Sounds like you've got a thing for him big guy," smirked Prompto.

The Shield just glared at the blonde, who just shank away slightly and kept on grinning outside of the man's long reach. "Alright kiddies, we're here," called back Aquas, bringing their attention back to their current mission.

Like both the Marshall and the thief had said, there were Niflhiem troops stationed throughout the area around the caves in which the next Tomb lay. For people like Cor the Immortal and Aquas, this should be a cakewalk, but Noctis wasn't so sure it was going to be an easy task to take on those Magitech-mechas. But with six people in the group, two of which being exceptionally good combatants, they're chances were significantly higher. The two older men definitely had unique ways of fighting that complimented each other almost too well, like they were in sync with each other's movements. It raised a few eyebrows and even more questions about their familiarity with each other, which could only be described as 'intimate' by Ignis when there was a pause enough for the four to notice. Battle soon recaptured their attention, so any and all inquiries would have to be put on the back burner till a later time.

Once the Magitech troops had been reduced to scrap metal, their group gathered around the entrance of the Keycatrich Trench, Aquas with a particularly sour expression. When they asked what was wrong once more, the thief responded cryptically, "I don't have a lotta fond mem'ries of this place. Rather not go in without a ward against bad luck."

"You're still insisting upon that old myth," scoffed Cor.

"Don't test me _Leonis_! You of _all_ people know that I can find ways to tear yer world a-fucking-sunder," threatened the thief, causing the man's face to go taunt and made everyone uneasy. Prompto, looking to defuse the tension, let out a bated whistle, but it only added fuel to the fire.

Gathering his courage, Noct asked, "How long will it take?"

"Depends on if this pile of sour dicks will humor me, just for a minute," Aquas answered curtly, obviously fuming.

Everyone looked to Cor expectantly until he said, in angry defeat, "Fine! Just get on with it!"

"Thank you," shot the thief venomously, giving the group pause for concern as they glared daggers at each other until they were out of the other's line of sight.

Taking a calming breath, Aquas began some sort of ritual, _"_ _O, dea Etro, exaudi orationem meam. Rogamus ut remittat nobis requies intuding qui ambulat in saltum chao et spero te protegat. Neque subsidium exspectans si in tempore hoc facimus quod nos possesions quondam invenit viam animae in nobis, cum semel ingressi sunt."_ As he spoke, he chalked a series of runes (similar to those on his chest) to the right of the cave's mouth, finishing with his hands clasped together above his heart as he bowed his head in respect.

Ignis was the first to question this odd occurrence, "Might I ask what that was?" _Ever polite,_ thought Aquas.

Before he could utter a word, Cor cut in, "It's a superstition among thieves regarding tombs. Something about 'preserving the purity of burial sites' if you can believe that."

"When are ya gonna pull that stick out'f yer ass," asked Aquas intently, "It. Ain't. 'superstition,'" he added in irritation. Pinching the bridge of his nose in attempt to relieve tension, "It's an old legend and practice among Filii Dea to pay tribute to the goddess of death known as Etro. It was said that she alone watched over time and the cycle of human rebirth. The legend goes on to mention a knight of her's with rose colored hair and how they were responsible for all souls to be reincarnated here when the old world was over taken by chaos and what little of it ended. Most of the story has been known and kept by us for generations, thanks to a few good heists back when we started. There were missing pieces though, rumored to be held in the library of the Lucian Kings."

The prince and his friends seemed impressed by his tale, but the Marshall just sneered, "Don't go believing everything he says, that's how he gets you to do whatever his twisted desires want."

Instead of anger, Aquas looked rather hurt by this, chiding, "It's not my fault that you never asked the right questions." There was a deep sadness in the thief's eyes as he remembered something that was obviously privy to only the Marshall and himself.

"Tch, I think the five of you'll be fine by yourselves, for now" said Cor dismissively. "I've better things to do than crawl through some abandoned caves. I'll be checking in," looking directly at Aquas before adding in a low tone, "often."

"Stay safe," Aquas said, sounding almost out of habit and completely genuine. But he seemed to be ignored by Cor, whose back was to them before he walked off towards the outpost. Making his peace with it, with a dejected sigh, Aquas suggested, "Well, I could lead y'all to the Tomb if ya want, I know this place like the back of my hand."

"Can you really take us to it," Gladio exclaimed.

Seeming to perk up at that little bit of praise, Aquas boasted, "Ya bet'chur ass I can!" He had the urge to throw the word 'sweet' somewhere in that sentence,but thankfully resisted the temptation.

"Then what're we waitin' for then?! Let's get us a Royal Arm," proclaimed Prompto with renewed vigor.

With confidence in their new friend, Noctis and his ruetine felt comfortable in letting Aquas take point as they delved into the ruins of what remained of a last hope to the people who took shelter here. Though they had faith in his integrity, the four men still had questions about the thief and his past. What was his connection to this place? Was it him that lived with the Marshall? Those and other silent inquiries did not go unnoticed by Aquas, who asked as he picked at the pins of a locked gate, "Got somethin' on yer minds fellas? Go on, speak up, it's about what Cor told ya, isn't it? Wonderin' if y'all trust me?" _Hell, who's to say they'd ever trust me after that display._

"No way man, that's not it..." blathered the blonde hastily as the gate opened with an ominous creak. Aquas could hear movement ahead, praying to Etro it wasn't anything too dangerous.

"It's just that we have lots of questions," added Noct, "You haven't exactly told us much."

"I have my reasons, but now's not the time fer twenty questions," he cautioned, "here there be daemons."

This kept them silent, for the most part, Noct and Prom were snickering at his unintentional reference. As the thief had predicted, had to deal with a horde of goblins and some larger, spider-like their party of five, the easily managed to clear the path of unwanted pests and make for the Tomb's doors. Noctis produced the key Cor had given him, causing the doors to retreat like they did on the first, all be it louder bouncing off the stone walls of the surrounding cavern.

"Looks like they're built the same," commented the thief, "it's identical to the one in Nebulawoods, if my memory's correct. The only thing different is that the doors are still on their hinges and that there axe." Chuckling to himself, jesting "What? Was the Lucian Court lackin' in architects?"

"I believe I read somewhere that they were made uniform so that they could be easily identified at a distance," input Ignis intelligently.

"Yeah, makes sense on paper don' it," added Aquas, "but in practice, it makes things easy fer treasure hunters t' find 'em all and take these Glaives that so important. Lucky fer you boys," holding up a hand to stay their concerns, "to my knowledge, no one knows how t' open these Tombs or what's in them 'cept those close to the royal family. Hell, until t'day, I hadn't a clue what the reason fer these Tombs to be spread across Lucis instead of Insomnia."

"So they should all be there 'cept the one in Nebulawoods," surmised Gladiolus.

"I haven't heard anything like this goin' through the black market from what contacts I still have, so yeah, that's right," confirmed the thief, adding anxiously, "Can we hurry up? I don't wanna be here any longer than I have to."

They had to admit that Aquas looked rather uncomfortable here, the real reason still unknown. So without any more dallying, Noctis collected the battle-axe of his ancestor and they made their way back outside. About halfway through, Prompto made the observations about how the weapons of Noct's relatives stabbing him in the heart was kinda foreboding. They all just looked at each other, as if searching for an answer or reason. Even when they reached the end of the tunnel, none of them had any explanation nor did they like the implications of what it could mean. Aquas particularly had a solemn look about him, his theories were most likely far more grim than anyone else in their group.

When they stepped outside, the sun had reached its zenith and they had a lack of anything to do for the time being. Even Cor didn't have anything for them when he called to check on them as he had promised. He said he was working on a way to get past the Empire's blockade into Duscae. So, until they received the green light from the Marshall, their time was theirs to decide what to do with. Prompto, predictively, suggested that they take this as a break until they were ready to move on to Duscae. Noct agreed with him and Aquas looked as though he did too, but said nothing. Ignis, on the other hand, shot down the idea in favor of making an investment for the future. In other words, they'd be doing jobs for the Hunters in the area. This overruled Prompto three to two, making the blonde complain about having to use some effort instead of playing on his phone for hours on end. Speaking of which, Aquas had a worrying thought come to mind.

"Hey Noct," probed the thief as Prompto continued to try in vein to change Iggy's mind.

"Yeah?"

"Ain't ya worried that the Nifs will track y'all down by our cells," he asked, some of his old cautious habits returning.

"We shouldn't have need for concern," assured Ignis, nonchalantly holding back the still blathering blonde, "the Crownsgaurd install ghost chips in all their issued devices so as to avoid tracking from an outside source. Plus, the passcodes for tracking change every hour."

"Then we're fucked if they figure out that I'm travelin' with you fellas," added the thief pessimistically, staring at the cheap smart phone in his hand, considering the pros and cons of smashing it.

"They can't figure that out if no one's alive to tell 'em," Gladio pointed out, grinning almost sinisterly.

"I like how you think," Aquas smirked darkly before adding, "Now that that's out of the way, then I suppose we should get started on these hunts. We'd make more money if we split into groups of two and three."

"Say what," said Prom in shock, finally paying attention to the conversation.

"Look, it'll takes less time than if all five of us were to do the same job," he explained, "and the smaller the group, the harder it is to scare off a target. You'd be surprised how loud y'all were back there," jabbing a thumb back towards the caves, "Kinda curious why those pests didn't attack us earlier than they did.

"He's right," said Gladio, placating their concerns, "smaller groups do work better. You wouldn't send a whole army after one person would'ja." _Would you look at that, strong_ and _smart,_ thought Aquas.

"Isn't the Empire doing that to me," Noct pointed out, like the smartass he is, "But I get what you're saying. So, how should we split up?"

The question hung in the air before Aquas answered, "Well, it looks like that Ignis here is the only one who can keep a handle on you and yer court jester," there was an indignant 'hey' from Prompto that could be heard in the background, "So you three will be one group if there are no arguments."

"Sounds reasonable enough," said Ignis, giving it some thought, "Then that leaves Gladio and yourself to partner up."

"I ain't got a problem with that if you don't," said the thief, "unless ya want t' hunt alone."

"Nah, I'd rather have someone watch my back. Think you can handle that," goaded Gladio.

" _Non forsit_ , I jus' hope ya can keep up," Aquas prodded back.

"It seems we're at an agreement. Now, all that's left is to decide where each group will be hunting our targets," concluded Ignis.

"I reckon I saw some posters at Hammerhead and the rest stop over by Longwrythe, ya can drop us off there and take care of the varmits around the garage," said Aquas, manipulating them slightly for an outcome he wanted.

Not knowing that he was helping the thief's scheme, Noct added slyly, "I'm sure Cindy would be happy to see us helping out."

"Then what are we waiting for, let's get going," exclaimed Prompto, unusually motivated as he made for the car with the others following with knowing smirks, Aquas especially smug.

Ignis took his usual place at the wheel whilst Aquas sat between Noctis and Prompto, looking very out of place in his ragged thieves attire. The faded black now gray in stock contrast to the coal hue around him, further making him the outlier. Not like it wasn't something he wasn't used to by now, but being used to and being okay with it were two completely unrelated feelings. Even in this group of misfits, he stood out.

Finally pulling his hood back down, Aquas stretched out his arms over the backseat of the Regalia as he leaned back and let the wind sweep through his hair; hoping it would carry these drowning thoughts away into the landscape racing past them. He was brought back to his surroundings by the very familiar sound of a camera shutter's rapid opening and closing. Head still tilted back, Aquas' eyes flicked over to his right to see, out of the corner, Prompto with an old camera, it's lens pointed in his direction.

Before he did more than that, Prompto said, "Wait! Hold that expression, it's perfect!" The camera clicked five more times in quick succession before Aquas was allowed to move. "It's almost like you've molded before!"

"I dabbled in it fer a time, needin' a hobby and the extra gil," said the thief, a hint of fondness in his voice, "it was an on and off thing since I wasn't all that popular."

"I have a hard time believin' that," said Gladio, his voice a little strained that almost went unnoticed. Almost.

"Yeah, me too," chimed Prompto, oblivious to the slight look of intrigue Aquas had, "What did'ja model for?"

Brushing off his curiosity, "Bit 'f everythin', they kinda jus' put me where I was needed or subbed fer models who had prior _engagements_ ," smirking a little as his joke went over their heads, "I was usually posed with some pretty little thing, I hardly got a solo shoot."

"Why's that," said Prompto, still clueless to the reason behind the foxlike grin the thief wore as he flicked through his images, "these are great pics! Oh! This one would look great in black and white, don't'cha think," showing Noct and Aquas the current picture of the thief. The wind had swept up his hair dramatically, contrasting the nonplussed, half-lidded look he was giving the gunman.

"I think so too," said Noct cheerily, leaning forward so he could see around Aquas before turning to him and adding, "You should definitely model for him sometime."

"I'm flattered but I'll have t' take a rain check on that," he said as they pulled into the rest stop.

Aquas and Gladiolus got out, collected their bags, said their farewells (promising Ignis that they'd call to check-in often), and made for the Crow's Nest for something to eat and ask about local hunter targets in the area. As Aquas expected, Gladio had ordered three times the food he had and was happily chowing down as soon as it was set in front of him. _ **(Do you like this pronoun game? I don't.)**_ Aquas couldn't help the fond smile he had as he attended to his own meal. After his second burger, Gladio asked, "How's yer arm holdin up?"

"Almost fergot about it, ain't bothered me none all day," replied the thief, taking a sip of his cherry-flavored soda. "The only one that hasn't, to be honest." he added, "You do good work."

He grunted with acknowledgement, "So which one of these do ya wanna do today," looking at the spread of papers in front of him.

"You," he breathed.

"What?"

"These fellas here," tapping the magnanir poster, "Still enough daylight before they make bed fer the night," said the thief, recovering seemlessly.

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea to me," Gladio said, motivated, "Let's get goin'!"

Finishing their meals, they thanked the tipster and headed back across the street to toss their bags in the room. The tempting whispers of the cooled air beckoning them to stay just a bit longer, but they resisted. Hiking towards Longwrythe Peak, where the herd was last spotted, Aquas started some small talk, asking about any hobbies that the Shield to the King might have. Researching fighting techniques was the first that Gladio mentioned, always looking to improve. The thief comended him for that, sharing the same thought but to a broader view due to his seclusion of his store in recent years; letting slip that he was looking forward to the road of unpredictabilty ahead, missing the outside world and the freedom from a itinerary for every waking hour. They both had an affinity for combat, obviously, and continued to discuss their expeirances and theories. It was Gladio who brought up that the Kingsglaive were given abilities similar to the royal family, but most of the Crownsgaurd didn't. Aquas found this odd and asked why.

"Well, I guess it has to do with personal preferance," he explained, "Not everyone takes well to warping, most people throw up their first time."

"Can't imagine why," comment Aquas with heavy sarcasm; not remembering his experinance this morning that fondly.

Chuckling, "Dont' worry, the rest of us aren't too comfortable with it either. Then there's the magic, I never got the hang of it and it freaks the hell out of Prompto. Iggy's really the only one of us that can use it just as well as Noct. Usually," he added," if we need that extra 'omf', Noct'll make us these little magic bombs for us to throw at our enemies. But they make it a little too easy to set each other on fire."

"Lemme guess," said the thief with a hint of amusement, "Y'all set blondie on fire and that's why he won't touch the stuff."

"It wasn't on purpose," suddenly defensive, "I didn't know the blast was gonna be that big." He would've continued to ramble if Aquas placed a finger on his lips, motioning him to get low and hide behind the boulder a yard to their right.

Peaking around their cover, they watched as their prey stiffened with alertness. Neither Gladio nor Aquas dared move until the horned beasts began to relax. Back against the large stone, the thief whispered, "How ya wanna handle this?"

"Well, I don't think they'll run off," he said in equal silence, "they look real aggressive. So we need to focus on not gettin' trampled. Any ideas?"

"I've got one," conjuring his sword, "and I'm gonna hate it, but it's fer a good cause." Peaking around the boulder again, he quickly scaned the landscape for a good infantry point before turning back to Gladio. "I'm gonna try t' warp t' the other side of the herd, take 'em by surprise. When I strike, yer gonna take 'em from this side, throw 'em into confusion, give us the advantage."

"Good plan," praised Gladio, looking motivated.

"Imma thief, lowerin' risk and playin' dirty are what I do best! Git ready," he said, taking aim. Ready for the magic this time, he launched the blade over the heads of the magnanir, blinking as it began to plummit back to the ground. What he wasn't ready for was the landing, almost crashing as he rolled with a grunt and garnering the beasts' attention. "Gladio! NOW," he shouted, throwing the sword again, but at magnanir this time.

As Aquas had said, this threw the herd into disaray, but not for as long as they would've liked. Soon, the magnanir had exchanged their panic for aggression and swarming their assailants. Forcing the two hunters to take the defensive.

"What was that about 'lowerin' risk," Gladio yelled over the sound of numerous hooves hitting the rocky ground.

"We killed four of 'em," shot back Aquas, using his staff to block one from skewering him.

"Yeah, but I count ten more!"

"Still better than fourteen!"

"Ahh! Let's jus' kill these damn things," growled Gladio in frustration.

"What do ya think I'm doin', teachin' 'em figure skatin'," warping up to stab one the throat. "That's three I've killed, five more and I git first shower!"

"Oh like hell you will," taking a huge sweep with his blade, downing two, "Four! How do ya like that?!"

"Like five," starting to get the hang of the physics _**(What physics?)**_ of the warp magic, "Keep up kid," boasted the thief, blinking over to his next target.

Gladio just grumbled and pushed hard as the magnanir in front of him tried ramming him into the unforgiving ground. As their numbers dwindled, the beasts seemed to fight even harder and began to really wear them down. By the time one remained, a large bull, the score was seven to six with Aquas winning. But luck was on Gladio's side due to Aquas' excessive use of his borrowed magic chipping away most of his energy, giving him the chance to even out the score. Charging foward with a great yell, he took a wild slash and decapitated the magnanir's front legs from it's body.

"Yeah," he hooted in celebration, looking pleased with himself, "Take that you smug bastard!"

Aquas, on the other hand, wasn't amused in the slightest. In fact, he almost looked like there was a storm of rage brewing beneath the surface. Taking a deep breath, he marched past Gladio without so much as aknowledging him, gaze fixed on the magnanir, still alive and struggling to flee. Unable to stand, all it could do was frantically push itself across the dusty ground, blood pooling and being flecked all around it as it made pained sounds of panic as the thief drew close. It was a sad sight to see, especially when Aquas kneeled next to it, running a gentle hand through it's mane and cooing quietly to calm the poor beast. In a hushed, tender tone, he said, "Shh shh shhhh, I'm sorry my horned brother. I never ment for you to suffer, allow me to end your hurt and send you into the loving arms of our mother, Etro."

The beast seemed to understand these words, soothed by the thief's kind promises. It layed down, extending and exposing it's neck to Aquas, accepting it's grim fate as he drew his blade across the flesh quick and clean so that it may bleed out quickly. Muttering a prayer under his breath in the old tongue, he held his right hand clenched into a fist over his heart. When his words ceased, the same hand extended upward and outward, letting his fingers unfurl as though he was letting something go to be swept up by the wind. It left Gladio speechless by the solemn beauty of it, strangely ashamed of himself as he surveyed the magnanir corpses around them. It was pretty clear which ones he had slain by their mangled bodies compared the mercifully quick deaths Aquas had executed.

"I'm sorry," Gladio found himself saying,

"Don't be," still gazing with pity at the corpse at his feet, "it was my fault t' spur ya on like that," he said apologetically, "What's done is done. Our job's finished, let's just head back and get our bounty."

The hike back to the rest stop was uncomfortable, not because of the heat or sore feet, but because of the silence that enveloped them like a blanket of awkwardness. Aquas refused to say a word, not knowing how to say what was on his mind without coming across as scolding the other man. Gladio, on the other hand, was begining to feel anxious, waiting for the thief's quiet facade to break at any moment and rake him across the coals for what just happened. No one had ever made Gladio feel this ashamed of himself without a word or acting like it wasn't his fuck up. He felt like he'd disappointed the thief and it was getting to him, which anyone who knew him would say it was something unheard of. The King's sworn Shield was one who never gave a damn what other's said or thought, untill now.

Aquas was the first to break the silence, "Ya doin' okay Gladio," he asked, sounding quite calm, "Ya've been aweful quiet back there."

"Huh...? Oh...uh..yeah, I'm good," he lied awkwardly.

Stopping just inside the limits of the outpost, he turned to see Gladio trying to avoid eye contact with him, the setting sun casting odd shadows over them. It gave Aquas pause as he looked the man over, seeing the same expression and body language he'd seen himself and many others display so many times before. It was the look of someone that had fallen short of a respected college's expections. His ears began to feel warm at the revelation, surprised that Gladio already respected him that much. Clearing his throat slightly, he said stiffly, "You held yourself very well today. If something's eating you, just know that you've impressed me today and take pride in that, not everyone can do that." Aquas' heart twinged painfully at the echo of words that were once spoken to him years ago; that those same words had the same effect on Gladio that they had on himself. Surprise, a look of self-reflection, and turning to meet the thief's violet eyes with his of fiery amber. What he did not expect was the warm smile of thanks that he recieved, it made his ears feel even hotter as the corner of his mouth twitched upward to form his trademark half-grin.

"Oh really? What would that be," he asked, his voice heavy with smug as his smile shifted to a shiteating grin.

"Ain't sayin', don't want ya t' get a big head, do we now," Aquas jested, "C'mon, let's git our gil and go, I'm pooped."

The tripster was grateful and surprised that only two of them were able to take out a herd of fourteen without major injury. Aquas pretended to be modest, commenting on how challenging it was to keep the beasts away long enough to strike one of them done, that was Shiva's truth. Gladio hung back as Aquas accepted the bounty reward, wondering what he did today to impress the thief. It wasn't his skills in combat, he was sure that Aqaus had seen much more talented fighters than himself. Was it something else he did or was it something he said? There was still a lot about the thief that Gladio didn't know or what his actual motives were. He'd have to be extra careful about asking questions from now on so he doesn't get suspicious. But there was one thing he knows about Aquas that no one else does and it made sense to Gladio that the thief wouldn't want it shared. So he'll just keep that in his back pocket for later.

Aquas let out an audible sigh of relief as he entered the A/C cooled room, flopping back first onto the nearest bed. He made and appreciative noise as he sunk into the mattress slightly. "I tell you what," he said tiredly, "nothin' beats the feel of a hotel bed."

This was the second time today that Gladio had caught onto the thief's double menanings, this time, he was going to comment on it. "Sounds like you've had a lot 'f good times on one," hinting towards something lewd.

"Like you wouldn't believe," commented Aquas with a smirk, "the best part is in the mornin', yer not the one t' clean up the aftermath. Plus, hotels _always_ have the best mattresses."

"Well if you love 'em so much," making for the bathroom door, "why don't you stay there while I take the first shower."

"M'kay," he hummed, not yet processing what Gladio had said until he locked the door. Scrambling up, he made for the door, saying loudly, "Dammit kid! I need one too! I swear to Ifrit if ya use all the hot water, I'll hog tie ya t' the bed," hitting the door threateningly. _Hell, might do that anyway, sounds fun._ Walking back to the beds, Aquas accidently kicked Gladio's bag and there was a metalic thunk that he bearly heard as a large truck drove past outside.

More than curious, Aquas knelt down and began to search for this suspicious item. Shifting through clothes and books, he found a deposit box off to the side at the bottom. From the looks of it, it was purposely put there to keep it hidden from anyone who would glance over when the man was retrieving a book or grabbing a change of clothes. A smart tactic and it made the thief very curious as to what was worth this kind of effort. Obviously, when he tried to open it, he found that it was locked tight. Not a problem, he was more than capable to pick the small lock before Gladio could finish his shower. Pulling tools from one of the several pouches on his belt, he was slightly anxious as he picked at the tumblers, expecting the Shield to walk out at any moment. But less than a minute later, the latch popped off as Aquas sat smugly at his own skill. What he found was both flattering and a little wierd to be on the otherside of this sort of thing.

Inside was a collection of porn magazines strictly for gay men _ **(Or girls into guy on guy action, I ain't judging)**_. It was a magzine Aquas knew well, due to staring in it more than a few times. And best he could tell, he was in each of these issues, dating back as far as eight years ago. The thief had signed on for the extra gil and was in good with the owners, being members of Filii Dea themselves, leaving for their own ambitions in Insomnia's Wall. They had called it "Criminal's Innduendo," pretty clever seeing as it was ran and modled by either current or former law-breakers. The only way to get a hold of them in the city was if one knew a guy who knew a guy that could a hold of them. Outside the Wall was a whole different story apparently cause the newest one was bought in Hammerhead, Aquas remembered seeing it there. Flipping through some of them, it was obvious which models were Gladio's favorites by the wearing on the pages; they were all built like Aquas, lithe, toned with middling length dark hair and the look of real danger and mischief about them. The thief couldn't help but notice that he was the only consistant reappearence in these old magazines, he could see the look of darkness begin to fade through the years to be replaced with that of a playful trickster.

Putting them back how he found them, he reset the lock pins and hid it back in the bag the way it was before he went though it. When Gladio finally came out with a towel wrapped around his waist, he was none the wiser that Aquas had found his stash. Not that the thief could tell, due to the fact that he was too busy drinking in the sight of the man's still glistening body like he was the oasis in the middle of the desert and he was dying of thirst. The tattoo that spanned most of his torso is what really garnered his attention, having a bit of a fetish for that sort of thing and especially for something that big. But it was nothing compared to when Gladio took the towel off and it was then Aquas decided it best if he let him be the first one to shower from now on.

The first thing Aquas saw was his firm, beautifully sculpted ass as he bent over to grab a pair of underwear, his cheeks spreading just enough to catch a glimpse of his tight hole. Aquas' breath caught when Gladio lifted a leg to start pulling his clothes back on, revealing a heavy set of balls and a head that made the thief's mouth begin to water. Somewhere in the back of his mind he began to wonder if he was doing this on purpose, but he didn't care. Gladio had began to turn when he heard Aquas' gasp, forcing him to act quickly as though he'd moved wrong, gripping his left side as though it were in pain. Thankful that the Shield failed to question him further.

Aquas made for the bathroom as casually as he could while trying to conceal his raging hard-on. With the door firmly closed behind him, the thief breathed out a sigh of relief as he freed his member from his constricting pants. It twitched slightly at the touch of his hand, a pearl of precum forming at the slit. Under any other situation, he'd be surprised that he was this excited just from seeing a bit cock and ass. But his thoughts were far too clouded with lustful want that all could think about was getting that man into his bed at least once. Turning on the water, he hoped to the Six that it was enough to drown out the sounds of his muffled grunts and moans as he jerked off to the image of Gladio bent over the bed, spreading cheeks, and begging for the thief's cock in his waiting hole. Just thought of that image alone did it, sending spurts of ecstasy and seman through his member, forcing him to bite hard into his shirt balled up in his mouth to cut out the moan of pure pleasure that followed. Licking up the mess on his hands, Aquas undressed and inspected his healing wounds. Some had closed enough to not be rebandaged later, but new bruises and small cuts had appeared.

During his shower, Aquas' mind began to clear and one thing stood clearly in the forefront of his thoughts. He wanted Gladio, wanted him badly. He began to ponder how he was going to get the jump on the Prince's Shield. He was sure that it wasn't going to be an easy task and it somehow made him want it more. If past encounters, both hostile and sexual, were anything to go by, Aquas would have to make his move when the Shield was at his most vulnerable, more pliable to the thief's temptations. He was sure to have plenty of oppurtunities whilst he and Gladio were hunting seperate from the main group. As he dried off, he gave himself an assured look in the mirror, determined to capture his prize.

As Aquas had suspected, his goal wasn't that simple to achieve, but not for the reasons he thought. It had to do more with oppurtunity and stamina. Apparently, the two of them seemed to be evenly matched in terms of endurance, with the slight possibility that he would have the upperhand if he were at a hundred percent. Granted, he could just crack open a potion and be done with it if it werent for the fact that he enjoyed the intamacy that he shared with Gladio when he redressed his wounds; giving up on doing it himself in favor of leaving it to the Shield's surprisingly gentle hands. Finding the idea of someone's intent of making sure he was doing well both soothing and a bit nostalgic. The reminder of something that he held twice before it was stolen from him gave him strong motivation to take it back and never let it go ever again. It certainly didn't help that the man gave off an aura of security that Aquas had been sorely lacking the majority of his life. Both times that he possesed it, it was only briefly before it was thrown away by the cruel hand of Fate.

As for oppurtunities, they were slim to none and were usually too small of a window for the thief to slip through. Everytime, it would frustrate Aquas and he'd take refuge either in the bathroom or on the rooftop of one of the few buildings within the vicinity of the hotel. It was almost like Gladio was taunting him, but the thief had a feeling that none of it was really on purpose and more of his own attraction and want making normal things either incredably cute or super sexual. _How can someone be so adorable..._ _ **(Cut to Gladio playing with a puppy that came through a few days ago)**_ _...AND HOT AT THE SAME TIME!_ _ **(Cuts to Gladio splatered with demon blood striking the perfect pose of masculine sexuality)**_ More than once, he was sorely tempted to either resond in kind or lash out with harsh word. But he quelled those temptations so as to not squander his efforts thus far, haveing achieved a close enough bond that Gladio had become quite comfortable around Aquas and granted him his trust _**(Gods I hate playing the pronoun game!)**_. All of Aquas' old instincts told him to just grin and bear it until the perfect oppurtunity presented itself to him. But by the Six did it irratate him to see his prize constantly just outside his grasp.

It made him feel guilty at times, viewing such a wonderful guy like Gladio as a prize of his lust and selfish wants to be won. In the past, if he wanted something, he'd take it without so much as a second thought so long as it satisfied him. But Aquas' time in Insomnia had changed that way of thinking just enough to make him step back and evaluate what the cost would be to go through with it after almost a week after the split with the Prince and the rest of his reutine. On the one hand, he was on good terms with Gladio which, in turn, would put him on good terms with everyone that trusted his judgement. While on the other hand, it was obvious that the man had fantasized about banging the thief and would stare at his ass when he thought Aquas wasn't paying attention. But the consequences of this course of action could be too severe if he screwed it up on the follow through, Aquas almost wanted to throw in the towel and call it a lost cause.

Almost.

It all came down to a single phone call from Noctis, the sounds of an arguement between Ignis and Prompto could be heard from Aquas' place on his bed. After a week, Cor had finally found a way around the Nift's barricade and wanted all of them to meet up somewhere just outside the Prairie Outpost at fifteen hundred hours tomorrow. This was it, it was do or die time and Aquas was almost certain that he wouldn't have another chance for these conditions anytime in the near future. He was just going to have to risk it and go for broke. So when Gladio went for his shower that night, Aquas grabbed the hi-potion that he'd squireled away in his bag and drank as much as he could before it disappaited into the ether. With all of his aches and pains soothed and his stamina restored, the thief felt confident that he held the greater advantage and was ready to make a mad dash towads his goal.

Aquas only had a few minutes to make a plan for how he was going to do this. It wasn't going to be as smooth as his past pursuits, but Gladio was well worth the risks involved with such an impulsive plan if he pulled it off, he'd just have to make use of his prized silver tongue. The only thing that made him anxious (hell, everything made him want to crawl out of his skin at this point) was then unpredictability of the scenes to follow. Basically, was he playing Pitcher or Catcher? Gods knew he wanted to do both. He usually knew exactly what he wanted, whether it were giving it to some needy twunk or being the plaything of a commanding brute of a man, he knew what he was getting into. But, as previously stated, he really wanted both and it was iratating only being able to see Gladio as the latter and wanting to do so much to that godly ass of his. But this conflict was short lived as the bathroom door began to open, it was now or never as Aquas prepared to live with the consequences, good or bad. He just prayed to Etro that the outcome was in his favor.

In mere seconds, Aquas had the man pinned against the wall with his staff, forearms trapped under it along with his neck to keep him from escaping. He took exception to this, "What the fuck are you doin'," he snarled loudly, Aquas enjoying being this close to his face.

"Isn't it obvious," replied the thief, his voice sweet like poisoned honey, "I'm about to get what I want."

"And what's that," he asked, growling as he fought against his restraints, but to no avail, "Lemme guess, you want me dead!"

"Now sweetheart," his voice playfully coy, "if I wanted that, don't'chu think I'd've done it by now? No, what I want is mutually..." pausing to looking him in the eye and cock an eyebrow, "beneficial."

"Oh yeah, what's that," he grunted, face reddening from his struggle and embarassment of his predicament. He could feel his towel slipping from his hips.

"Playin' dumb, huh," pressing himself closer to Gladio, face close enough to count the stubble on his chin, "Did you really think I wouldn't notice ya starin' at me like a staved coyote?"

"I have no idea whatcher talkin' about!"

"Oh really? Then what's this," palming Gladio's hard member, making groan with supressed pleasure, "I saw you in Hammerhead, heard the straining in yer voice, and found the box and took a peek inside. I gotta say, I'm surprised..."

"Surprised at what," he panted, at bit paniced now.

"That guy with yer confidence didn't have the courage to make a move sooner, that a guy with yer brains didn't figure I was on t' ya, and a fella such as yerself," licking his lips as he looked him over, Gladio catching himself watching the motion, "wouldn't dream that I'd be into ya, even after all the hints I dropped, not that it matters anymore. So what's yer plan darlin'? Will you _steal_ control from me or am I takin' point?"

Gladio felt Aquas back off him a little, the pressure of the staff releaving just enough to give him some wiggle room. It was like the thief wanted him to take charge, an invitation to put sword lilies in some water, so to speak. If he could just break free of Nigrum's hold, he'd be the one pinned against the wall instead of Gladio. He got his chance when Aquas reached down to remove his towel. He grabbed the thief by the shoulders, spun them around, and slammed him into the wall. The thief still grinned like a cheshire cat before Gladio pulled him in and stole the first kiss.

It was a wild and hungry kiss, clashing of tongues that fought for dominance as breathy moans escaped from them both. Aquas had conceded, relenting control to the younger man. No longer concerned with winning this game of tonsil hockey, the thief's hand traveled downwards, catching on the zipper of the only barrier between him and the bliss of skin on skin contact. Not one for standing on ceremony, Aquas released his straining member and began grinding up against Gladio.

Breaking apart, "Greedy bastard, ain't'cha," grunted the Shield smugly.

"Yer one t' talk," taunted Aquas, his voice husky, "Better add kinky too while yer at it, ya were harder than Bahamut's scales when I had ya pinned."

"It's not everyday a guy fucks his favorite pornstar."

"It could be if we play our cards right," gently placing his index finger Gladdy's swollen, lower lip, "and no one has to know if ya don't want them to."

"Ya must be some kind of succubus to turn me on like this," he growled, sucking on his finger before it was pullled away.

"They're called incubi honey," chuckled the thief, alight with playfulness, "and you keep this sorta talk up, ya won't sleep t'night."

"That sounds like a challenge," he grinned, pulling at the fastenings of Aquas' armor, letting the pieces fall to the floor.

In less than a minute, the two stood on equal thanks to Gladio's seemingly practiced hands. "You've done this before," purred the thief with obvious delight.

"Yer not the only one who can make men _bend_ to your will," he simpered, bringing him in for another kiss, this time gentle as he steered him towards the bed.

When they broke apart, Aquas added, "Well ya certainly know how to make a guy feel special."

Laying the thief on his back, Gladiolus crawled on the bed after him like a predator would prey. The sight was intoxicating, flooding Aquas' brain with lustful as his hands moved unabidened to explore the large expanse of skin and muscle he'd been longing for and was now his. Gladio attacked his lips once more, moving to nip at the thief's jawline, eliciting sounds of pleasure deep from his chest. Aquas dug his nails into his back when found the sensitive spot in the hollow of his neck, mewling loudly. Aquas was shameless in every sense of the word, by the sounds he made Gladio found the soft spots of his body and to the way he apraised the pure muscle on top of him like it were made of gold, groping what parts he like the most.

The Shield continued his path southward and got quite close to his member before Aquas shook things up. He had tried to flip them over, but Gladio wasn't about to let that happen. With a possesive growl, he pinned the thief to the bed with strength that seemingly came from no where, leaving marks from his grip. Aquas' eyes widened at the act of dominance, so used to being the one to lead, it was new to be powerless and he found it... exciting. Sure enough, he'll get his turn, but he let Gladio do what he wanted for now.

Returning to his previous position, the Shield began to toy with the thief's cock, thumbs circling the sensitive flesh where his leg met his groin. His sure grip kept Aquas' hips from bucking at the pleasurable torture, moaning in disappointment each time Gladio purposely failed to take his member into his mouth, teasing him to the point his hands were twisting in the sheets as creative curses flew from his tongue everytime he felt his lips brush over his head. Finally, with a predetorial hum, Gladio gave the thief what he wanted and took his leaking member all the way to the back of his throat, enjoying his taste as a new string of curses followed in heavily past lust. Still pinned by the Shield's grip, Aquas was unable to move when he bobbed his head a couple times, slow and steady before he took that beautiful mouth away. He almost whined at the loss before the brute did something truely dirty.

Gladio's face had disappeard as he went further down, Aquas had a moment to process that his cheek were spreading apart before he was lost in pleasure yet again. If either of them were truely an incubus, Gladio took that title with gusto as he rimmed him mercirously and further making the thief out as his bitch. It didn't slip past Aquas, even in his fevered mind, that Gladio enjoyed having him helpless beneath his touch and ministrations. So when he pulled away to begin to preping him, the thief pushed off the bed hard as he could and toppled Gladio over on the floor. With a wicked grin as he was now on top, Aquas spit on his hand to reach behind and begin lubing the man's cock, enjoying the power he held in his hand as he watched the Shield's face twist with pleasure. He groaned when he took his hand away, not even feeling the pressure of Aquas' body leave his body, only knowing what came next. Both of them moaned in a mixture of pleasures as Aquas' ass swallowed his member inch by quickly passing inch. Panting when he was fully seated on Gladio, he began to grind ever so slowly, making them both shudder at sensations it brought.

"Move! Dammit," grunted Gladio, grabbing his hips and forcing them up before they were stubbornly slammed back down.

"Not so fun being the one teased is it," Aquas managed to pant out, smiling michievious as he went back to straddling his cock.

Again, Aquas had failed to not to underestimate Gladio's brute strength as he lifted them both from the ground, proceeding to slam him into a wall and thrust in and out furiously. All the thief could do was wrap his legs around him and hold on as he had his way, feeling his disadvantage as the pleasure began to coil in his groin. By his desperate pace, Gladio seemed to be just as close, but it was still a race that Aquas was going to lose.

"Fuck, I'm gonna..." he cursed, pulling at his dick.

"Yeah, me too," husked Gladio, "Go on. Shoot for me."

That did it, Aquas' pleasure had peaked at that moment. Curses and gasps of pleasure escaped him as ropes of seman shot from his cock, coating both of their chests as Gladio pushed in for a kiss as he rode out his own orgasim as his own member was gripped by a vice. Panting, the both waited for the last waves of pleasure to fade out as they softened, the Shield still buried to the hilt in the thief. Pulling out, he walked him back over to the bed with him still in his arms before gently laying him it before falling right next to him, surprised when the thief rolled over and layed his head on his shoulder.

"It's beens years since I've had this much fun in bed," he said, happily hugging the man next to him, far more relaxed than he had been in years.

"Glad you enjoyed yerself," grunted Gladio, wrapping his arm around him in return. Eyeing the clock on the table, he added, "We should get ready for tomorrow."

"In a minute," he hummed, "Greedy, remember?"

"I never said now, did I," he asked, amused.

"A man after my own heart..."

 **Finshed! Finally finshed! I know that I'm very late with this one, but honestly had very little time to work on it even though it's my main focus now. But its done and that's what matters. I've also made Aquas in comarades as best I could, so PS4 users, you might find me everynow and again. That is if the severs can pull themselves together and stop booting me offline, never had this problem with Overwatch with our boondocks internet connection. Also, Happy Almost 1 year Anniversery XV! Well, see ya guys next chapter! Whenever that is!**

 **P.S. A fun little fact I came cross during research for another project, the eagle is a spirt animal that symbolizes sexual power and who do we know that has an eagle tattoo?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Body**

 **IV**

 **A/N: Well, I wanted to have this chapter done for Gladio's birthday but as you can see, that just didn't happen. Much like most things I try to plan out. But hey, nothing wrong with rolling with the flow of things and living in the now. Its done me good so far, minus a few minor details. As for the chapter itself, its hit me hard in a couple places just writing them cause they strike way to close to home for me. Things are about to get interesting and come to a head. I wonder how many of you have been paying attention to some of the stuff Aquas has either let slip or referenced and if you've made the right guess. I may have been too obvious about it or not obvious enough, should be pretty clear after this chapter even if the choco-broz haven't caught on yet. Don't worry, I've still got plenty of tricks up my sleeve for upcoming chapters, just hoping I can stick with it long enough (looks at stories I've neglected months/years), I really want to finish this one. It's kinda like an experiment before I get down to an original work, testing out my planning skills, trying new writing techiques, ect. If I do well, finish this, I'll definately have the confidence I need to publish a book! Thanks for reading my rambles and enjoy the new chapter!**

 **P.S. (Circum the release of 'A Single Pale Rose') If you're in the SU fandom, I am quaking with you. But it has given me new ideas for narrative though. Hue hue hue!**

 **Disclaimer:Final Fantasy XV is owned by Square Enix and Sony studios. I do not own any other mentioned properties.**

The morning did not come easy to the Shield and thief. Having gone to bed much later than usual, it hit Gladio the hardest, being the early bird to the night owl next to him. His internal clock had forced him awake before the sun had fully escaped the horizan, keeping him conscious despite the various reasons for him to go back to the world of dreams: a comfortable bed, a warm body at his side, and the curtains drawn shut to block out the morning rays. It wasn't the first time he had been awake long before Aquas this past week, but that was before last night, where he would always continue his morning ruetines of streches and exercise to ready for the day. But it was different now. Now he felt no urge to get up and train, no urge to leave this moment, no urge to sleep and no longer be able to gaze upon the man slumbering softly in the safety of his arms. Gladio does his best to memorize this scene, the smell of the room, the warmth of the shared bed, the feeling of arms wrapped loosely around him, and the way Aquas' hair fell messily over his face as he dremt on without a care in the world.

The moment wore off quickly as Gladio's nose began to itch. Trying to be quiet, he let out the sneeze without much noise. Aquas, apparently having been awake, chuckled in his throat, smirking, "You sneeze like a kitten." Adjusting his head to look at Gladio with half-lidded eyes as his smirk turned into a warm, gentle smile.

"I don't, I didn't wanna wake ya," a little defensive.

"Yer cute when yer embarassed."

"Am not," he fought back weakly.

"Yer blushin'," reaching up to ruffle his hair before pulling him in for a quick kiss, "Come'on now, can't let little ol' me ruffle yer feathers that easily kid."

"Who ya callin' kid," asked Gladio, slightly taken aback, "I'm twenty-three!"

"Just the _23-year-old_ man that let _himself_ be pinned up against the wall by someone half his size," his eyes flicking over the very light bruises from his staff, "then proceeded to be presuaded into sex by that same someone. Though I appreciate it, you should never trust someone ya jus' met, 'specailly someone like me," he finished, his chesire grin fading into a look of deep content as his fingers ghosted along Gladio's tattooed arm. Under his breath, "Gods how I've missed this."

Deciding to push for answers to a few old questions, Gladio asked, "What's the deal between you and Cor?"

Aquas stopped moving, caught off guard as his content melted into somthing that resembled grief and regret. He avoided Gladio's gaze, saying slowly, "He pulled me from a very bad situation, not knowing who I was or why I was there. He sort of took me in as his own, treated me like, well, a normal young adult. But when he found out who I really was, I dunno, I guess he felt like I betrayed his trust or that I didn't trust him enough to tell him after all he did... I was to blame for... I was gonna tell him the day I... You know what? Forget it. It doesn't matter anymore, it was years ago."

Gladio didn't buy it. Whatever happened, it obviously mattered to the thief a great deal. But he knew it wouldn't help to press further, even though it was clear that there was a lot that Aquas had purposely failed to mention. "Is that why you wanted us to know..."

"To know who I was, without the bullshit half-truths," he put bluntly, "Kinda, I mean, most folks 'round these parts knows of the infamous thief 'Aquas the Swift,' but the people in Insomnia were more isolated than they thought. I can only imangine how Cor found out. Since then, he's done his best to avoid me like the Starscurge." Shifting a little closer, "I guess it was for the best anyhow."

Why's that?"

"'Cause I would't've met ya," he said. Even though it was a cliche thing to say, he was sincere, making Gladio feel a bit closer to the thief. But though it was a sincere answer, somewhere in the back of his mind, Gladio still felt like Aquas was still dodging the real question. For now, he didn't care, he would have plenty of time to get to know the thief as continued down this path to take back Lucis. All that the Shield cared about right now was holding on to the beauty of the moment for as long as he could.

It didn't last long, cause of course it didn't, as the sound of a very familiar engine was pulling into the parking lot just outside. In a desperate move of tangled limbs, the two bedmates left the bed with the speed of someone about to be caught doing something they're not supposed to as they made for the bathroom. Working in near unison, they grabbed washclothes and cleaned each other off roughly as they heard the slaming of car doors. As they raced to get their clothes on, footsteps approaching the door, they both had the same thought. The room didn't just smell like they'd been living here for a week, it smelt like a few other, dirty things.

"Got it covered," shot Aquas curtly, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. For once, Gladio was relieved, even glad that someone was a smoker. For an added measure, the thief lit the tabacco with a match. The combination of the two quickly over-powered the scents from last night. Aquas took quick drags as he walked from one end of the room to the door to be sure there wasn't a trace left. Satisfied that the smoke had done its job well enough, there wasn't a need to choke everyone out with his old, filthy habit.

"Don't mind me, just stepping out," excused Aquas, squeezing past them to the railing.

"Whoa dude, keep that outside," whined Prompto, waving the smoke from his face.

"Surprised Gladio let you smoke in the room," added Noct, "he hates cigarettes."

"Yeah, kinda too late t' do anythin' 'bout it now," said the thief sheepishly, "Big guy only had t' look at me before I decided to get lost."

"Maybe not that far," said Gladio, catching on to Aquas' act to help keep them all out of the room, "Jus' didn't wantcha to be doing it indoors."

"Slipped my mind," said the thief, looking a bit guilty, "Should've thought'of yer health instead of my bad habits."

"Forget it, let's just meet up where Cor mentioned," Gladio turned back into the room, the others almost catching his anxious expression as they seemed to get away with his poor excuse of a lie.

"But of course," flicking the cancer stick away, "Give us a sec," he said to the others as he followed Gladio back inside.

"Sure thing," said Prompto, buying the whole thing hook, line, and sinker.

"We'll have the Regalia ready to leave upon your return," assured Ignis, turning to do just that, perhaps a bit suspicious of their behavior. Aquas made a mental note to be more careful from now on if he wanted this to continue. Specs never seemed like the guy to keep something hidden under his nose easily to him.

Back in the room, Gladio had his fist pressed against his mouth as his opposite knee bounced up and down nervously. _Post Performance Anxiety_ , thought Aquas, remembering that's what she called the state of mind after a bout of close calls in the game of words. He had reckoned that the Shield wasn't use to this sort of thing like he was, but he did handle it rather well in that real tight spot. This gave Aquas more reason to steal Gladio for himself. Perhaps 'steal' wasn't the right word for what he wanted to do.

"Ya handled that better than I thought," complimented Aquas, unfazed by the experiance as he collected his scattered belongings.

"Think they're on to us," he asked, failing to hide his worry.

"Specs might think somethin's off, but the other two ain't that quick on the draw," he said, pausing in slight disappointment of himself for sounding like such a hick for a moment before adding, "But I think we're clear, they'll figure it out at some point."

"I hate lying to 'em," he grumbled, "We should tell them."

"Hold yer horses cowboy," glaring at him for moment before his expression softened, "Maybe yer one t' kiss n' tell, but I ain't. Would ya seriously go out there and say 'hey guys, I just banged the new guy'?"

"When you put it like that, I guess not," he agreed, sounding a bit put out.

"Look, I'm not saying we have t' keep it secret," admonishing himself, "I'm just saying that I don't even know how this'll turn out. For all I know, this could've been a one time thing."

Gladio got up quickly, startling the thief a bit as he closed the gap in two steps. Cupping Aquas' chin with his thumb and forefinger, he said, "What if I don't want it to end? What if I want to see what this'll turn into?"

The certainty in his eyes caused the thief to smile, soft and true as he gently moved the man's hand to cup his cheek for a moment. He hummed contently at the feel of it before he pulled it away and letting drop to his side, saying, "Then we have to take this slow, find the right time for us and the right time to tell the rest of yer friends. Who knows, maybe they'll figure it out on their own."

"Never thought you'd be such a romantic," commented Gladio, catching onto what Aquas really ment, "and their your friends too."

"Well, I guess ya shouldn't judge a book by it's cover," taking quick, soft kiss from Gladio, "but seein' as yer catchin' on, there's hope fer ya yet."

"Ouch, way to ruin the moment," jested the Shield, mockingly covering a wound as though Aquas' words had cut him.

"Alright wise guy, we should get movin'," turning away from him to begin collecting the rest of his belongings, "otherwise, they'll get suspicious."

In a few minutes, the two of them finished cleaning up both the room and themselves. Aquas never understood people who had to style their hair everyday. To him, it seemed like a huge waste of effort for something that would only last a day and did jackshit to help them survive until the next sunrise. Maybe it was becouse of the environment he had lived in for so long that he just didn't have the patience to care about his personal appearance aside from cleanlyness, thought it as part of his charm. He was pretty damn grateful Gladio was so low maintiance and practical with his sense of style (minus the exposed abs, as nice as they are, not very safe) compared to everyone else. The thief was dreading the morning he had to share a single bathroom with everyone as they groomed themselves like fancy chocobos for gods know how long. It'll be an absolute disaster if one of them gets food poisoning or some other stomach virus.

 **\- Cut to the rock crevice out side the blockade -**

Aquas' stomach grumbled uncomfortably as they hiked to the meeting point Cor had specified. Really wishing he had snacked on something in the car, but Noctis had berated him as soon as he reached for the granola bar in his bag. The thief almost told him to piss off and eat it anyway, but he was still on patchy terms with the group so he held his tongue and sullunly put it back.

To the thief's surprise, Cor was not there to meet them. Instead, there was a middle-aged woman in black clothes similar to that of Gladio's.

"Monica, am I glad to see you," Gladio exclaimed with relief as he pushed way to the front, leaving Aquas a bit bemused at his eagerness and reasons.

"As am I," she said calmly, "It's good to see that both of you and your sister are safe."

"Iris, where is she? Is she okay," he asked urgently, concern controling his voice.

"She is perfectly fine," calmed Monica, "She is on her way to Lestallum with Dustin as we speak."

Most of the group seemed to lose some tension in their shoulders as Aquas' confusion grew. He even heard Noct mutter his relief under his breath. _Well, I guess everythin's fine them. I wonder why Gladio never mentioned that he had a sister? Not important now._ "So, what's the plan," he asked, ruining the moment.

Monica looked questioningly at Aquas momentaraly, as though she just noticed that he was there. She seemed not to think twice about his unfamiliar face among those she knew. It stung a bit, but the thief figured that Cor must've told her something about him because she regarded him with a strange, almost wary look. _At least he'll acknowledge me now that I'm with the prince,_ he thought bitterly.

"We'll be dividing into two groups," she explained, "The prince will join the Marshall on the other side of this crevice and make their approach from the rear. While the rest of you will attack the main gates to cause a distraction."

"Well ain't that jus' like 'im," Aquas grumbled quietly, still audible to the group, "makin' others do the heavy liftin' while he takes the easy route."

"Is there a problem," Monica said dangerously.

"Oh no, no problem at all. The prince's safety is top priority," he said bitterly, "A good excuse, I'll give 'im that. It'd be nice if he had the balls to tell us himself instead of hiding behind his subordinates."

"That's enough Aquas," cut in Gladio, glaring venomously at the thief. "Now's not the time to be startin' shit!"

Aquas bit his lip as he glared back before letting out a scoff and looking away, "Fine, let's jus' get this over with."

"Oookay then," Prompto commented awkwardly, "Welll, I guess we'll see you on the other side Noct."

"Yeah," Noctis responded in kind, unsure of what make of all this, "See you guys in a bit."

As the prince squeezed between the two formations, the remaining party marched over to the blockade's front entrence with Aquas stomping angerly ahead of them. He got a goodways away from the main group as Prompto asked, "Man! What is up between him and Cor? They're literally at each other's throats all the time"

"I asked him that this morning," answered Gladio, not knowing he was, "he wasn't to keen to talk about it..." At that last word, he covered his mouth before adding, "Err, pretend I didn't say that."

"Whoa ho! You actually asked him, " said Prompto in amazement, "Now ya gotta tell me what he said!"

"Nuh-uh," shot down Gladio, "I ain't betraying what trust he has in me and if ya don't want me t' deck ya, you'll forget I said anything." He clenched his fist, glaring at the blonde as he spoke.

"Alright big guy," he said dejectedly, a little scared, "My lips are sealed."

"Good," letting his hand relax, "glad we're on the same page."

"Hey," Aquas shoated over his shoulder, "if you ladies are done gossipin' 'bout my personal life, we got shit t'do!"

"Aw crap," gasped Prom, "he's got Iggy ears!"

"I'm still here, thank you," deadpanned Ignis.

"We're almost there, so get ready t' make some noise," he ordered as they rounded a cliff corner, turning his attention to the artificial walls of the blockade. "Attention Imperial douchebags," he shoated at the top of his lungs, "prepared to get royally fucked by the Lucians ya so kindly overlooked!"

"What the hell are ya doin'," squacked Prompto, waving his arms in panic, "Are you trying to get us killed!?"

Aquas ignored him, staring at the MT that stood, unmoving, from his postion atop the metal barricade, completely unfettered. His gaze of angry defiance fell to confused dissappintment. "Are... are they ignorin' us," he asked with annoyance.

"Gee, wonder what that's like," mumbled Prompto bitterly.

"It seems," interjected Ignis, "that they do not recognize insult."

"Then let's give the somethin' they do recognize," he said iratibly, turning to the gunman, "Prompto!"

"Eep!"

"Shoot that bastard off his perch," ordered the thief, pointing at the same MT he had shoated at earlier.

"Do ya really think that's necessary?"

" _Yes_ ," with stressed, iratated importance, "If we want to draw the fuckers' attention to us, then we need to really give'em some'em ta look at!" Turning around, conjuring his sword, "Now shoot him or I'll do it and hope to Etro that they don't snipe me out of existance."

"Aren't ya being a bit dramatic," Gladio said, stepping inbetween them.

"Gahh," growled Aquas in frustration, "Fuck it! I'm going," throwing the sword into the middle of the crowd of MT's that had gathered at the sounds of the thief's yelling. As soon as he blinked up there, Aquas unleashed a frenzy of slashing and staff swinging, completely tearing the soldiers to pieces.

As they stared on, Gladio said, slack jawed, "Remind me to never piss him off," remembering the anger the thief had held back during the whole magnanir incident.

"Same, big guy. Same."

Warping back, Aquas gathered himself and said, "Git ready! We've really got these assholes' attention."

"Technically, you've got their attention," Ignis pointed out.

"Whatever, just shut up and fight," he commanded, glowering as he charged the opening gates lik a mad man. Throughout the skirmish, Gladio kept finding himself unconsciously protecting Aquas more than he should when he should be helping the others. Each time, he would shake his head and make to move somewhere else, away from the thief only to find himself back where he started. Maybe it was because he had gotten used to fighting with Aquas this past week. Yeah, that's why. Not because of this morning and certainly not because of last night. He was just looking out for the thief because he wasn't in his usual state of mind, no need to read too much into it.

The fight drug out for another ten minutes as the Magi-tech continued to pour out of the gates like cockrouches. As it went on, the group began to tire and Aquas became sloppier and sloppier. Soon enough, the thief had enough gashes that the pain finally cut through his red mist. With one last wack of his staff, Aquas had finished the last trooper and was using his weapon as a crutch as he collected himself, lighting a cigarette. Breath caught, mind somewhat cleared, and the pain pushed back, he walked over to Ignis who was handing out potions to the group. Upon looking him over, the rouge handed him an elixir in silent reluctance, making the thief assume that it was something that he had been hording. Grateful, he took it with a quiet thanks as he began to drink it with gusto.

Restored, Aquas let out a belch before excusing himself. "Lost myself there fer a sec," he admitted sheepishly, "Sorry guys."

"No problem man," said Prompto, waving him off, "Can't expect ya to keep cool all the time, 'specially with whatever's eating at you and Cor."

"What about me," asked a voice frm behind the blockade walls.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," the thief muttered under his breath as Cor and Noctis came into view, letting the cig drop onto the ground.

"What was that, I couldn't quite hear you," asked Cor, irate.

"Maybe ya could have someone else be yer ears," chided Aquas, looking innocent, "seeing as ya have no problem usin' another voice as yer own."

"My job," bit back Cor, "is to protect His Majesty. Not babysit every slackjawed thief who can not even begin to understand..."

"'Protect His Majesty'," scoffed Aquas, "well you're doin' a real bang up job of it. Seeing how well you 'protected' the last King of Lucis!"

Everyone was left absolutely speechless by the thief's blatantly insulting comment. Noctis and the others could only slowly back away as the two stared each other down like incredibly lethal and unstable wolves. Cor was completely livid, drawing his katana in challenge to Aquas' foul mouth.

"I will not allow you of all people mock my integrity," growled Cor in pure malice, pointing his blade directly at the thief's chest.

"Integrety! Is that some kind of joke," Aqual snarled, mimicking the Marshall's stance. "Where was it that day you went behind behind my back! The day I finally had the courage to tell ya everything and ya drug me in front of yer master like the good little lapdog you are! Where was that 'integrity' then, huh?! Tell me!" Aquas was shoating by this point, voice shaking with anger, sadness, and confusion. His eyes were wide with fury as he stared down Cor, his stance unmovable.

The Marshall stood aghast, his mouth working but no words came out as his blade fell an inch or so. His anger rose it's head again, "Are you really goin to be so petty as to say that here?! Now," he spat.

"Oh, but of course," he said in mock formality, inching forward a bit, causing Cor to flinch. "'cause now I've got yer attention for the first time in four years now that I've allied myself with the family you swore to 'protect.' Etro only knows how hard I tried to reconnect, try and apologize for what I didn't say, and all you did was ignore me like nothing ever happened. Not only that! You attacked me the first time ya saw me in years!" Aquas was seething with rage at this point, taking a step forward and satisfied to see the Marshall take a similar step back. "And you call me petty! Yer the only one holdin' a grudge! I forgave you! Even after you stabbed me in the back after I felt like I could let my walls down around ya when you told me..." Aquas's voice had broken, lips quivering as they silently finished the sentance as his chin dipped down. In the resounding silence, they could hear him begining to choke up, trying to keep it together.

Everyone stood silent, awkwardly shifting their feet with not knowing what to say or do. If anything, they felt sorry for the thief or couldn't help but glare at the Marshall. If Aquas was telling the truth, then Cor wasn't as great of a man as they once thought. Prompto took a step forward, perhaps knowing a bit more about how the thief was feeling, only to have him shakily say, "Don't," refusing him the attempt to comfort Aquas.

Gladio was the one to break the silence glaring down his mentor as he barked, "Aren't you gonna say something for yourself, cause yer in a pretty bad spot right now!"

"No, I won't," Cor said venomously, looking almost hurt as he turned away from them all and began walking into Duscae, "You four have already made up your minds on who you are going to believe and it sure as hell's not me."

Collecting himself, Aquas scoffed bitterly, "Coward. Now I finally see the true reason why they call you the 'Immortal'. You run with yer tail between yer legs as soon as things get too tough to handle."

Against his better judgement, the Marshall rose to the thief's bitter taunt and pivoted around to charged him, sword gripped tightly as he prepared an upward strike. Unbeknownst to them all, this is really what Aquas wanted, a chance to repay Cor all the hurt he had endured. He was no longer hampered by his injury, had time to regain old skills and strength, and aquire new power that the Marshall was not aware of , but he will soon. This won't be like their old sparing matches, this was about spilling blood.

Cor closed the distance quickly, aiming his slash at the thief's sword arm in hopes of hampering him into submission early. But Aquas was ready, to familiar with how the Marshall fights, and blocked it with the flat of his blade, head butting him in the nose before he had the chance to switch tactics. Staggering back in a daze, he didn't have a moments respite before Aquas was on him, reminding him how a thief fights, dirty. It was only going to get worse there. From an outside perspective, it looked as though Aquas was controlling the skirmish with a series of low blows and slieghts of hand. But in truth, it took every trick he knew, new and old, to keep Cor from gaining the upperhand. The Marshall was a man trained by the Royal Army and hardened by years of battle whereas the thief had only his wits, his own experiances, and a strong will to survive. So on it went, back and forth, experiance against trickery. It ended when Cor had the thief by the throat after the fight had devolved into a brutal puch up and Aquas escaped by taking a huge slash at the Mashall's torso. That was when Noctis finally had the sense to step in, both of them on the ground clutching their respective wounds, with Gladio following close behind.

"Alright, that's enough," grunted the Shield as he pulled Aquas away, when he resisted and kept trying to get at Cor, he shoated angerly, "I said that's enough!"

Both of them were panting, hard telling who was more worn out, bloodied, or bruised. Cor looked worse off, his nose bleeding heavily, possibly broken, and his clothes were ripped in several places as blood stemmed from them. The worst of it was that nasty gash that Aquas just gave him on the side of his ribs which he gripped tightly. Aquas himself, on the other hand, had less noticable wounds other than the cut above his right eye and the bruises that were begining to show where Cor's hand had been. Gladio could hear his breath catch everytime he moved or something would barely touch his torso, maybe a broken rib or two.

Letting out a shakey, arrogant chuckle, "Looks like we come out even now that we've got the same powers, eh Cor?" The smirk was nothing short of mocking, smug that the Marshall could no longer best him easily.

Cor had nothing to say to that, not wanting to give the thief any sort of validation. Aquas could only assume that his pride had been severely wounded. That was enough to satisfy him, his closest allies had seen the "Immortal" bleed, shown them that he wasn't untouchable. This may shake their faith in him and his ability to keep them safe. All it took was one man who seemed to be rather mundane. The reprecusions of the thief's actions may become grave, but he didn't care. Aquas was able to take Cor down a few pegs and he took a preverse sense of pride in that.

"Sorry to break up this petty scauble," said a mockingly arrogant voice above them, "but it's time for me to put an end the legend of the Immortal!"

Those words chilled Aquas to the bone as his gaze followed everyone's up to the source of the disturbance. His heart seemed to stop as an Imperial Dreadnot descended over them, the bay doors opening to reveil a large mecha and a fresh troop of MT's. The thief began to panic, there was no time to recover and no way he could truely help his new friends with the impending threat or even protect Cor from it. All Aquas could do was pray to Etro that they'll all make it out alive as he regretted his decision to confront Cor when they needed him the most.

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter and are looking forward to the next! Please leave a review on what guys think of the chapter or the series as a whole. I have a twitter now, so guys can follow me gladioamicita for updates on everything I'm working so you're no longer in the dark. Until next time, I'll see you in the next chapter!**


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